Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Creative Dance
Creative Dance
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the book is to help teachers develop
an understanding of dance in the preschool setting, sense when dance
can be a natural extension of classroom activity, and develop skill
in planning and leading meaningful dance experiences. The first
chapter of this book discusses what dance in preschool education is
about and its importance for young children. In the second chapter,
the content of movement is presented; these elements are the building
blocks from which dance activities are created and provide reference
points for developing ideas into class activities. The third chapter
discusses general preparation for dance activities, and chapter 4
offers a step-by-step description of the process of developing an
idea into a class session. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss the reality of
teaching a dance class, and the final two chapters give suggestions
for adapting material to particular groups--the very young, the
handicapped, and parent-child groups. The appendixes include
resources and strategies for recorded music, ideas for use in
lesson.1, children's literature, sample original stories, sample
lesson on a specific movement theme: curved and angular lines, and
suggested resources for further reading. (JD)
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* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made *
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from the original document.
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DANCE
F
wYOUNG CHILDREN
FINDING THE MAGIC
IN MOVEMENT
U II DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS r>tfice of Educational Research and Improvement
MATERIAL !N MICROFICHE ONLY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
I
HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC)
C Th(s document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it
0 Minor changes have been made to improve
reproduction quality
SUE STINSON
005.1kOlim 11.111111rm.
Dance
for Young Children
Finding the Magic
in Movement
Sue Stinson
4
To Chelle and Ben,
who taught me most
Contents
Introduction
1 What Is Dance and Why Is It Important in Preschool? 1
'l
viii DANCE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
stop trying to get dinner over with in order to accomplish the °vening
chores, and instead appreciate the tastes and textures of our food, allow-
ing mealtime to become a sensory experience. When we pay so much at-
tention to the familiar, it often becomes strange for us, rather like a
super-enlarged photograph of grains of salt that reveals a crystal garden.
At such moments, we feel as though we have steeped outside everyday
time and space, or even entered another world. We know ourselves and
oar world in a different and deeper way. We may even imagine new iden-
tities for ourselves, or new worlds we might enter.
Preschool children seem to have special access to this other reality.
Anyone who has tried to get somewhere with a young child knows that
these children have an uncanny way of not only slowing us down, bet
also helping us notice things along the way that we might otherwise
missthe procession of ants down the sidewalk, the importance of a hug
right now, even the sound of grass growing. I cherish young children for
leading me into this world with them, for helping me find this part of my-
self that all too often gets ignored in the busy-ness of my life.
Artists treasure this other reality into which young children enter so
readily, because it is where the creative spirit lives. Indeed, the arts offer
another way to get in touch with deeper parts of ourselves and a deeper
awareness of the world. Some adults even speak of how participating in
the arts helps them find the child within themselves.
Of all the arts, dance is the form in which 1 have found a "home."
While in everyday life 1 just use my body, in dance I sense it in a different
way. I become aware of much that 1 otherwise take for granted, such as
what a stretch feels like, or how 1 use my feet to get into the air in a jump.
Further, I become more attuned to other forms and other movements that
exist in the worldthe energy of a crowd of children entering a room,
patterns of light and shadow, pathways of leaves falling to earth.
Yet, dance also satisfies a need i share with young childrenthe need
to MOVE . . . to run, jump, and even fly. It speaks to my desire for challenge
an ! excitement and achievement as well as calmness and centering.
Being a teacher has given me an opportunity to combine my love for
children and my love for dance. Of course, I found out quickly that love,
while essential for teaching, is not enough. Some very important knowl-
edge and a lot of hard work are also necessary if one is to create a vision,
whether that vision is an artistic or an educational one.
As our visions grow, so do we as teachers. I used to think of a teacher
as a finished product in the business of learning, the perfect (or nearly so)
model to whom the student would aspire. Now I recognize the inaccuracy
of this view, especially in the creative arts. As a teacher, 1 first must share a
part of myself, creating a space in which children are free to disc' er and
share a part of themselves In the process, we both learn more z ut our-
F),
DANCE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN ix
selves and each other. We do not have a preconceived notion of just how
we will 'end up; but are constantly in the process of becoming. Children
have the space to become, not just like the teacher, but more fully
themselves.
Each teacher will also develop differently, with an individual style
of teaching, based on unique experiences and the special gift of who he or
she is as a person. The teacher does not need to be perfect, but has the
right to try new ideas, and also to fail, in the process of growth. Seeing this
kind of openness also gives children the freedom to risk themselves in the
learning process.
This book is meant to be a part of the growth process for you, the
teacher. It will not by itself make anyone a master teacher of dance; that
requires extensive experience in the art. Learning in any of the arts de-
mands more than just reading and thinking. Even this book requires more
than passive reading if it is going to make a contribution to you and your
classroom. You will need to feel movement in your own body as you read
about movement, to find other examples when some are given, and to
imagine the responses of your own class as you plan a session. My ideas
may get you started, but you will need to adapt them to your own situation
and then generate your own ideas. This is a large order but, as all teachers
of preschool children know, great invesrments of our own energy yield
rich returns.
The first chapter of the book will give you a sense of what dance in
preschool education is all about. In the second chapter, the content of
movement is presented; these elements are the building blocks from
which dance activities are created. You will want to refer frequently to this
chapter when you are developing ideas into class activities. The next sec-
tions deal with preparing for dance sessions: Chapter 3 discusses general
preparation, including some important ground rules; Chapter 4 takes you
step by step through the process of developing an idea into a session.
Chapters 5 and 6 discuss the reality of teaching a class which, as we know,
never goes according to plan! Chapters 8 and 9 give suggestions for adapt-
ing material to particular groupsthe very young, the handicapped, and
parent-child groups. The Appendix lists ideas and resource materials; this
is a section to which you will add.
Through using this book, I hope you will develop an understanding
of what dance is about in the preschool setting, sense times and places in
which dance can be a natural extension of your classroom activity, and
develop increasing skill in planning and leading meaningful dance expe-
riences. Finally, I hope you will feel good about making dance a regular
part of the life you share with children.
/1*----
Acknowledgments
The photographersHooshang Bagheri, Kate Barrett, Terri Detmold
who worked to capture moments of magic on film.
xi
Purposes of the American Alliance
for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance
1L
xiv DANCE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
.
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11
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,
The word dance brings to mind many imagesballerinas on a stage,
the scene at a teenage disco, do-si-dos in a country barn, a chorus line.
We see moments in sports that look like dance," and even speak of some
animal behavior as "dancing.' Some people believe that dancing is al-
ways graceful and that great skill is required; some see dance as sinful
self-indulgence.
Dance indeed comes in many forms, not all of them appropriate for
young children. The kind of dance that is most appropriate for this age is
most often referred to as creative dance or creative movement. It is an art
form that is based on natural movement rather than movement of a par-
ticular style such as one might see in tap dance or ballet. But, of course, not
all natural movement is dance. In our everyday lives we walk to a cabinet,
reach up to get a box, or turn to hear someone talking, but it does not feel
like dancing. Yet, a dance can be made of the same movementswalking,
reaching, turning. . . . What is it that makes movement dance?
For a moment, try pointing to an object in the room as though you
were showing someone where it is. Now, point again, but this time with a
difference: Make the movement your arli performs more important than
showing someone the object. This is what dance is aboutmaking move-
ment itself significant. (Otherwise, people would not bother to do it or
watch it!)
How do we make movement significant? The first step is to pay at-
tertion to it. Most of our everyday movement is so well mastered that we
no longer have any conscious awareness of wl- at ,ve are doing; we are on
automatic.- In order to dance, we must sense ourselves just as completely
as a baby taking its first tentative steps.
Perform the pointing movement again, tryirg to be fully aware. No-
tice if your arm moves all in one piece or if it moves sequentially (first thr,
upper arm, then lower arm, then hand, then finger). Try it both ways and
sense the difference. Does your arm feel tense or relaxed as it is pointing?
Try doing it very quickly and then as though you have all the time in the
world, and notice the difference. Now put your arm down and notice how
it feels different from the otheryou sense it more.
To dance is to discover a new world of sensory awareness. Aware-
ness of movement is made possible by the kinesthetic sense, and it comes
from the nerve endings in our joints and muscles. This sense tells us what
our body is doing; it ordinarily works with the visual sense but even oper-
ates when our eyes are closed. Some degree of kinesthetic awareness is es-
sential if we are to master skills with our bodies; the better developed it is,
the more complicated the motor skills we are able to learn and perform. If
the kinesthetic sense is acute, it even allows us to feel motion we see oth-
ers doing; we can actually feel the tightness in a worried friend or feel a
2
WHAT IS DANCE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN PRESCHOOL? 3
"Transcendence . . ."
-I am my dance . .°
BODY AWARENESS
The development of body awareness and a clear body image (the mental
picture of one's own body) can be enhanced through the preschool dance
experience. This is significant for several reasons. It is important to the
growth of an overall self-concept ("who I am"). The body is the first self
that we know; awareness of our bodies is an important aspect of knowing
ourselves. Boc'y awareness is also an essential step in becoming aware of
our feelings. Feelings do not exist just in our minds, but in our bodies as
well. When we feel angry, sad, or excited, we feel it in the whole self. Get-
ting in touch with our feelings begins with paying attention to feelings in
our bodies. We then can acknowledge our feelings and seal with them in
the most appropriate way.
Further, body awareness is important in the development of spatial
orientation; children who do not perceive the space of their own bodies
may frequently misjudge distances, bump into things, or otherwise
seem not to know where they are. Body awareness also facilitates the de-
velopment of motor skills: Even such seemingly simple requests as,
`Don't hold your pencil so tightly" or 'Move more slowly" may not mean
16
WHAT IS DANCE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN PRESCHOOL? 5
anything to the child who is not receiving kinesthetic feedback from his
or her body. Many children need appropriately structured tasks and en-
couragement to develop new movement skills; this feedback can lead to
still greater body awareness. With greater awareness of his or her body,
the child also becomes capable of greater overall self-control. Control of
the body is the first kind of control children have over themselves and is
the first step toward the development of internal control or
"self-discipline."
1?
6 WHAT IS DANCE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN PRESCHOOL?
Some of the activities suggested in this book may be used very di-
rectly as tools for improving classroom behavior. For example, teachers
may tell children to 'make a shape and freeze" when the classroom is too
frantic, or "go out with silent, high steps" to help prevent a chaotic dash
to the playground. Many of these are "tricks of the trade" for preschool
teachers; they make classroom operation go more smoothly and pleas-
antly. There are some possible dangers in using such tricks too fre-
quently, however, and you should guard against these. One is that we do
not wish to hinder children from developing the cooperative and re-
sponsible spirit that is, in the end, the primary source of appropriate be-
havior. (This, of course, is a long-term goal, and we do nerd additional
methods of encouraging acceptable behavior in the meantime!) Another
danger is that children seem to be fairly _army in realizing when they are
being maninulated. Many children may simply stop responding to these
tricks, sensina that we rave ulte motives. It does pay to be honest
with children, letting them know 2 need and reason to move silently
or slowly or be still or get close together, and then invite them to make it
fun with you. The greatest contribution to classroom behavior that
dance can make comes as children gain more experience in focusing and
concentrating, and develop higher levels of awareness of themselves
and others.
COGNITIVE LEARNING
'See Furth, H G (1970) Piaget for teachers (Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Prentice Hall), or
Wadsworth, B.J. (1971) Piaget's theory of cognitive development (New York. David McKay)
2See North, Marion (1973) Movement education Child development through motion.
New York Dutton
i6
WHAT IS DANCE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN PRESCHOOL) 7
SELF-ESTEEM
As children learn more and develop new skills, their self-esteem tends tc
increase. Anyone who has heard a child exclaim, 'I did it!" or "I know
that!' recognizes the power children (as well as adults) feel in their own
competence. A child's self-esteem is also enhanced through participation
in activities in which his or her contributions are valued. A high level of
self-esteem in turn has a positive effect on all learning: "I like myself" rap-
idly becomes "I can do that.'
For the teacher, including dance in preschool education has many per-
sonal rewards. First, it offers a new medium for providing experiences for
children. Many teachers comment that the change of pace is as stimulat-
ing to them as it is to the children. Also, dance sessions can give the sensi-
tive teacher an opportunity to see and relate to children in a new way, to
become aware of particular qualities in individual children that may ordi-
narily be hidden. The class clown may lose that role to reveal depth of
feeling; the shy child may, even unknowingly, make an important contri-
8 WHAT IS DANCE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN PRESCHOOL?
bution to the class. A teacher may even find enjoyment in working with a
child who previously seemed hard to take.
Finally, the teacher who leads dance sessions has an opportunity to
experience his or her own sense of wonder and to rediscover areas of im-
agination that may have long lain dormant. One classroom teacher who
had begun dance with her children claimed that, because of this experi-
ence, 'Wherever I look, whatever I do, I just see and feel more now.'
More pragmatically, many preschool teachers have found that
dance is very useful as an activity for parent involvement. Some pre-
schools have included a dance performance at parent meetings and open
houses. Certainly, dance is a performing art, and having a sense of per-
formance (i.e., using full concentration, communicating with others,
doing one's best, etc.) is significant in the experience. However, making a
"show" for parents or other observers is almost always doomed to failure.
The parents will see nothing of the magical quality the children demon-
strate in the safety of their usual environment. In addition, the whole pro-
duction will tend to reinforce cuteness and showing off rather than
honesty of expression. There are much better ways to share this activity
with parents: Either invite parents as individuals to observe your sessions,
or, even better, hold a special parent-child session. (See Chapter 9.)
OTHER VALUES
There are also some reasons for including dance in preschool education
that are more long range and philosophical, related to an overall perspec-
tive of education and life. If you like to think about such larger issues, you
may be interested in considering these ideas too.
Many people have pondered the question, 'What does it mean to be
educated?' Most answers to this question include having an understand-
ing of one's own heritage and culture and that of others. The arts, includ-
ing dance, are part of the way people have responded to their world since
the beginning of civilization. Of course, preschoolers are not ready to
study dance history! But, just as children need to make their own stories in
order to understand literature and need to paint in order to understand
painting, they need to dance in order to eventually develop an under-
standing of this art form.
The arts have always been a way in which people have found mean-
ing in life as well as personal exhilaration. Today, we live in a world in
which people are desperately seeking meaning, 'getting high,' and often
pursuing some dangerous ways of reaching these ends. Perhaps one of
the most significant things we can teach children is how to find meaning
WHAT IS DANCE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN PRESCHOOL? 9
and exhilaration in activities that will nourish them rather than destroy
them. Dance is one of these activities.
Finally, dance education may have other contributions to make in
helping solve complex and difficult problems that exist in our world. It is
certainly unrealistic to expect that incorporating dance into preschool ed-
ucation might 'save the world.' But, surely it will help for more people to
become more aware of themselves, sensitive to others, and actively con-
scious of the world we share.
CHAPTER 2
01.1.1.11M1111111M1
The Material
of Movement
10
2
Movement is not always dance. However, dance always involves move-
ment. Movement is the raw material out of which dance is made, just as
music is made from sound. The more you understand the raw material,
the better you will be able to turn your ideas and those of your children
into meaningful dance experiences.
If this book were a cookbook instead of a book about teaching
dance, this chapter could be called 'Know Your Ingredients: and I would
hope that touching and tasting would be part of your experience in get-
ting ready to cook. Similarly, I hope you will explore and experiment as
you read this chapter so that you sense the movement in your body in-
stead of just reading words.
All of the movement material discussed will be familiar to you be-
cause the examples are drawn from everyday activities. Often, though,
when we stop to analyze something familiar, it begins to sound compli-
cated. Trying out the movement for yourself will make it feel more famil-
iar again.
I will present the movement elements in three levels, beg:aging
with the first level of awareness experienced by the child.' Stop re: ding
at the end of each level and alive with the material for a while so it be-
comes meaningful as you observe children. The leaching Ideas found in
the boxes will be more useful to you as examples at this point. You may
want to wait until uti have read through Chapter 6 before trying them
in your classroom.
The first level of material concerns the most obvious aspects of what the
body does in movement:
IA number of different systems for analyzing movement have been developed by dance
educators. The system developed by Rudolph Laban is probably the most widely used See
the reference by Russell (1975) in Appendix G to learn more about this system I have
drawn from Laban's woi k and that of others in discussing the movement elements
11
12 THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT
Body Parts
In infants, we see that all movement makes use of the whole body; hun-
ger, delight, and fear are expressed through total body involvement. As
young children develop, we see a progression from the general to the
more specific, and they gradually become capable of greater refine-
ment, using smaller muscles and restricting movement to an isolated
part or parts.
.mat
bodies than others; this is true even for adults. As an experiment, close
your eyes and try to sense your fingers, your lips, now your big toe, the
back of your neck, your third toe; notice which parts you can feel and vis-
ualize more easily.
Body Actions
How many ways to move can you name? Walk, run, skip, hop, pull, push
. . . you could probably fill a whole page with names of movements you
Teaching Note: Running is not noisy if you do it with magic and hold
yourself up from the inside, instead of letting yourself be heavy on the
floor. (See p. 28 of Chapter 2.)
3. A leap is like a run except that you stay in the air longer. Older chil-
dren will be more successful in finding an exciting moment of suspension
while they are in the air, for a sense of 'flying.'
4. A gallop is a combination of a step and a leap, in an uneven rhythm,
so that the same foot is always leading. Galloping usually appears natu-
rally by age 21/2, long before skipping.
5. A skip is a combination of a step and a hop, in an uneven rhythm, so
that the leading foot alternates. Skipping is a developmental skill that ap-
pears occasionally (rarely) by age 21/2, but sometimes not until age 6 or 7.
Children who have plenty of opportunities and encouragement to ex-
plore moving through space will discover a skip on their own. It is almost
14 THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT
Movements that May or IV ay Not Take You Through Space, but Always
Take You Up in the Air
1. A jump is the transfer of weight from two feet to two feet. Jumping is
especially significant in that it is one of the first ways children can experi-
ence their own body weight; this facilitates development of body ima-,e.
2. A hop is a transfer of weight from one foot to the same foot. This re-
quires more balance and is, therefore, a more advanced developmental
skill than jumping, just as walking appears before running. Many pre-
schoolers cannot hop with any success before age 4.
Teaching Note: In exploring push and pull, it is helpful for young chil-
dren to first use something concrete to become aware of that feeling of
resistance (i.e., push against a wall, pull one end of a rope). The em-
phasis should be on maintaining the force evenly rather than jerkily.
Next, children can push and pull an imaginary object, trying to recall
the feeling in their muscles. Finally, pushing and pulling can be per-
formed without reference to an exterior object.
0 r
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THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 15
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This child is pushing off to achieve elevation, and is using her arms to
help get a sense of suspension. What is another suggestion you
might make to her?
much the other end can move. Twisting is not possible at all joints of the
body without injury; you should be sensitive when asking children to
twist body parts.
In turning, both ends are free to move all the way around; individual
body parts thus cannot turn. Other words for turning include spinning,
whirling, and twirling. Cartwheels, somersaults, and rolling are special
kinds of turns.
Teaching Note: While children are much less likely than adults to in-
jure themselves while falling, they should understand some basic
principles of safety. One is to fall on body parts that are soft (buttocks)
rather than hard (heads) or pointed (elbows, knees). Another is to
lower the weight gradually, rolling it down to take the weight sequen-
tially from one part to another, rather than letting it all hit the floor at
once. Children can find ways to fall without getting hurt and can un-
derstand the difference between falling in a dance and falling so it
hurts. ("In a dance,' one child said, 'it feels like you're pulling yourself
down.").
7. A swing and a sway are similar in many ways. Swinging is a very ex-
hilarating, freeing movement that sounds 'technical" as we describe it: A
fall, giving into gravity, followed by a rebound to a suspension point be-
fore the fall begins again. Swinging requires some risk and daring, but it is
the daring that makes it exhilarating; it cannot be done halfway. If you
'hold back' in doing a swing, it becomes a swaya more controlled, even
shifting of weight. Experiment until you can find the difference between
these two movements; this will help you identify them as you observe
them in children.
THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 17
There are many other action words and many ways to move that do
not have names. Often, these are variations of the basic actions listed
above, but we can help children to expand their movement and verbal vo-
cabularies by using descriptive words. Some of these are:
Crumple, settle, and melt
Explode and burst
Gather and scatter
Curl and uncurl
Slither
Zoom
Flicker, skitter, and scamper
Tiptoe
Inch
Make a list of other movement words you can think of.
Even while every child in the class is responding to the same action
word, they may very well be doing something different. Try out, for ex-
ample, how many ways you can find to walk or to shake. We can make a
movement different by using different body parts (Can your fingers
walk? Can your toes shake?) and by changing something about the space,
timing, or energy. (More about that in Level II.)
Body Shape
Our bodies make many shapes during a day's work, but we tend to be
even less aware of these shapes than we are of our actions. Similarly,
children tend to become aware of movinent before they become aware
of shape. For a moment, become aware of your be ly's position as
you sit in your chair. Now, instead of letting the chair hold you up, hold
yourself up from the inside, so you are aware of the space you fill up. This
is what makes a shape in dance; it is different from just a position. Try to
sense your shape from the inside as well as visualizing it. Shift to an-
other shape, being aware both as you move and as you are -_,a. This
kind of perception of the body is a new and exciting discovery for
preschoolers.
The first step in a preschooler's discovery of shape is learning to
freeze. To freeze movement is more than just stopping it; it is a sense of ac-
tively 'holding on to keep the movement from happening and it has a
sense of readiness tc begin again.
II,
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THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 19
Moving from the freeze to the concept of shape is fairly simple. One
very successful way is to do different move and freeze activities and no-
tice the different shapes in which children freeze. Point out these differ-
ences. Then, see if the children can maintain their shapes while you pick
them up and move them to another spot; they must held themselves up
from the inside if they are to keep a shape! (Preschool children are light
enough to lift if they are holding up their own weight. For a further discus-
sion of weight, see page 28 of Chapter 2.)
at
gib
Sometimes, you may use specific shapes (of leaves, flowers, clouds,
letters) as a stimulus for exploration. Such words usually lead to very lim-
ited shape exploration. Instead of asking children to 'make a leaf shape,'
it usually works better to ask them to explore more general shape words
that can describe leaves. For example, you might say, Some leaves have
points; can you make a shape with points?' Some other examples of gen-
eral shape words are:
Curved
Angular (pointed)
Straight
Wide/narrow
Flat/curled
Large/small
Twisted
With holes
3 4.,
THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 21
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Space Factors
The space factors describe differences in where we go as we move. They
give us many possibilities for changing the basic movement of Level I. The
space factors you will want to explore with preschoolers are:
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4 I ;_,*
22 THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT
Direction
Directions can be considered in two waysaccording to the body or ac-
cording to the room. A teacher should understand both in order to avoid
confusing children.
In terms of the body:
Be sure the children understand which 'forward" you mean when you
work with directions!
Working with directions lends itself very easily to images. What
things can you think of that change directiona robot, a helicopter, drift-
ing smoke?
3d
THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 23
Size
Exploring the size of movement is important for preschoolers. It helps
them learn the meaning of big and small as well as the limits of their own
bodies. Most movements can be varied by changing the sizea large
wiggle or a small one, a big jump or a little one. Doing large movements
comes taturally to most preschoolers and helps them 'let off steam.'
Making a movement small takes more concentration and often results in
a very magical quality. ("Make a shake so small that no one else can
see it')
Level
Level refers to vertical distance from the floorwhether one is low, high,
or in the middle. In dance, levels are usually d-scribed in relation to an in-
dividual's body, so that high level for an adult is much higher than high
level for a child. For small children, middle level is harder to find because
there is not much space in between high and low.
Level may describe shape (making a high shape, a low shape, a
middle-level shape) or movement (as in low rolling or slithering, high tip-
toeing or jumping).
Focus
For preschool children, work with focus is limited to visual focuswhere
you are looking while moving or still. Focus may be fixed directly on one
spot or may be a roving focus (looking all around). Direct focus is usually
introduced as part of freezing, telling children to 'freeze your whole self,
even your eyes.'
Pathways
Pathways are designs the body makes in space. Drawing and writing in-
volve making pathways on paper; in dance, we make pathways in the air
and on the floor. To make a circular pathway in the air, draw a circle in the
air with one finger, with an elbow, and with your big toe. If you run in a
circle, you are making a circular pathway on the floor.
Movement activities involving pathways help children develop
skills used in writing and copying and even map reading!
3i3
THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 25
Energy Factors
This aspect of movement is concerned with the amount of energy used
and how it is released. Unlike the factors we have discussed up to now, en-
ergy itself is not visible. It is experienced internally, and only its results
may be observed. A study of energy in movement can very easily become
complex and abstract. Yet, more than any other aspect, it is the source of
movement itself. There are a nurr.1,er of ways of thinking about and cate-
gorizing energy qualities. Three particular concepts of energy are espe-
cially important in preschool dance and are appropriate for preschoolers
to explore. These are:
Tension/relaxation
r1 r7
26 THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT
Flow: bound/free
Weight: strong/light
These categories are not totally separate but have a definite relationship
with each other.
Tension/Relaxation
When you are moving, you can stop yourself by using either tension or
relaxation. Tension feels hard and tight; relaxation feels soft, loose, and
floppy. If we are either completely tense or completely relaxed, we can-
not move.
Very often, children who seem frequently out of control do not
know how to slow or stop themselves except by using tension. Tightness
is very useful for stopping yourself suddenly. However, when we try to
use tension to hold ourselves back for very long, the tension increases
more and more until we explode. This is why it is important for children to
learn how to make their bodies relax.
Some childrenand many adultshave great difficulty using
relaxation. Practice in using total relaxation is a valuable part of a
dance session.
11 r
...1 v
THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 27
Teaching Note: In teaching a dance class, you need to watch the chil-
dren for signals that they are ready to change from bound to free flow,
to provide contrasting experience. You will see a bursting out of energy
and/or an inability to maintain concentration if you stay with highly
controlled movement for too long.
2For a discussion of the relationship between personality and movement, see Marion
North, Personalty Assessment Through Movement. London: Macdonald & Evans, 1972.
28 THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT
,10
THE MATERIAL 01 .MOVEMENT 29
Time Factors
riming has to do with the relationship of one movement or part of a
movement to another. Children must first develop an awareness of time
within their bodies before they can sense it in music or deal with it as an
abstraction. The time factors we deal with in preschool dance are:
Pulse
Speed
Duration
Rhythm
Phrasing
Pulse
Most music that we hear has a metric rhythm in which sounds are divided
into equal beats. The pulse of music refers to the ongoing underlying beat.
The effect of a strong pulse is very powerful. It is practically impossible to
listen to a Sousa march or rock music without fee..ng an internal re-
30 THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT
Teaching Note: The dullest ways to work on staying with the beat are
clapping and walking to a drum sound. Other basic actions are much
more interesting; also, using a variety of sounds for accompaniment,
including music with a strong beat, will maintain interest. You can
begin by providing an appropriate pulse for basic actions such as
jumping and tiptoeing. Then, you can ask, Toes this sound make you
feel like jumping or tiptoeing?' and give children an opportunity to
move to the beat.
Speed
The speed (or tempo) of movement refers to how fast or slow it is. These
are, of course, relative terms. What initially seems slow may look fast
when compared to something even slower. This level of understanding
(the 'relativeness' of speed) requires an ability to form concepts. The goal
of working with speed in preschool is to know what 'fast' and "slow" feel
like inside.
THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 31
Because children have smaller bodies than adults, the same move-
ment usually does not take as long; for this reason, children often inter-
pret speed differently than adults. 'Slow" for a child may well be faster
than it is for an adult. (How many times have you told a young chile
'slow down"?)
In addition to the difficulty of interpretation, many children have
difficulty accomplishing slow movement. As previously discussed, they
may not know how to slow down except by using excess tension, and they
can maintain this tension for only so long before bursting out again. Suc-
cess in using relaxation usually precedes real mastery of slow motion.
Despite these obstacles, work with fast and I.;tow movement is very
valuable for preschoolers. Slow motion tends to have a magical quality
about it and, many times, a child's first experience of the magical quality
of dance co:nes during slow motion.
Duration
Duration means the length of time movement lastsa long time, a short
time, or something in between. It is of ten but not always related to speed.
(You can move fast for a long time or slowly for a short time.) This concept
is preparatory for an ur derstanding of note values in music, but we do not
introduce it in this context.
Teaching Note: When exploring the basic actions with children, include
variations in duration: shake your hands for a long time, shake your
head for a short time, etc.
Rhythm Patterns
Patterns are made by arranging long and short sounds or strong and light
sounds. Say your own name out loud; clap the pattern and then let your
feet stamp it. Most preschoolers do not have the auditory discrimination
or body control to accurately follow comp'icated rhythm patterns.
Phrases
Phrases are longer sequences of movement that 1, ave a sense of comple
tion by themselves. We may think of a phrase as a 'dance sentence You
4 el
THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 33
Gallop & gallop & gallop & gallop & twirl around anc; freeze.
Curl up very slowlyuncurl very fast!
These are concepts children build during their preschool years through
their movement experiences.
Preschool children tend to see the world from their own point of
view; so, their success in workir 3 with a partner or group is correspond-
ingly limited. Therefore, the : s of relationships primarily dealt with in
preschool dance are those between body parts, between different move-
ments and shapes, and between the individual child and some aspect of
the environment.
20
34 THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT
Teaching Note: Whenever you are exploring body parts or basic actions
of a part, include aspects of relationship among possibilities to explore.
() P
THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 35
4?
36 THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT
Never, even in the playtime with the prop, allow the children to be
destructive. They should become accustomed to treating all props with
care, even inexpensive and sturdy ones, or they will never be able to make
the transition to the special quality needed for dance. Remove the prop if
it is not treated with care.
Teaching Note: During dance sessions (as well as other times), you can
help children expand their awareness by pointing out 'accidental' re-
lationships. "Look, John has a high shape next to Chris' low one.' You
can also set up problems of relationship within the context of other ex-
plorations: If I walk fast, can you walk faster?' 'Let's make a dance
with three partstwo the same and one different (e.g., tiptoe . . . tiptoe
. . . roll)!
4G
THE MATERIAL OF MOVEMENT 37
0"
A
REVIEW
C. Timing factors
1. Pulse
2. Speed
3. Duration
4. Rhythm
5. Phrasing
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esNiumami 3
Pfeparing
for Dance
pow
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39
Many of the best moments in teaching come without any prior plan-
ning. Some sessions grow out of the magic of a moment shared with even
one or two children. Perhaps a child notices a leaf fall floating to the
ground and says, 'I can do that,' or, in the middle of hearing a story, a
child makes the action of the words come alive. The dance may then be
finished, or perhaps others may spontaneously come and join, and you
feel the closeness of an inspired time that you never could have planned
for. Sometimes you, as the teacher, may even initiate such moments, stim-
ulated by an unexpected happening, but you may very well end up feel-
ing unnecessary.
This indeed is the way children naturally experience their world,
using all of their senses, and their bodies as well as their minds, so that
learning is the same as being. Hopefully, as you become more attuned to
movement and dance, more of these moments will occur in your
classroomand out of it. At such times, questions of whether or not you
have the right space, length of time, or number of children are irrelevant.
However, there will be times when you will want to plan a session
for more dept., just as you appreciate the unexpected discoveries that
lead to spontaneous science experiences, bui still feel the need to set up
situations that can allow for more in-depth experimenting. These are the
times when you will wish to garner all your resources, and try to structure
a situation that will foster in-depth understanding, yet be as magical as
the spontaneous ones. Let's look at some preparations that can help make
these sessions work better.
Before you ever begin to think about leading a specific session, there are
certain items you will need to consider. One of the most obvious is SPACE.
First of all, you will look at the size of your space: How large is it? How
many children can move comfortably in their own place and how many
can move through space? The shape is important too; a long and narrow
room will not serve as many children as a square one because you need to
be able to see each child. If your space seems too small for your whole
group to move freely, consider:
Moving the furniture all the way back into the corners and r tting
chairs ca top of tables.
Using some furniture as natural obstacles (going over, under,
around, etc.).
40
52
PREPARING FOR DANCE 41
A space can also be too large. A very large open space, such as a
gymnasium, may simply invite children to run to the distant corners.
This is fine for recess/free play, but not for an activity needing close con-
centration. Also, all children should be able to hear you when you speak
in a normal voice . . . and hopefully also in a magic whisper. If the room
is too large, find something to use to define the boundaries of your danc-
ing space.
The floor in your space should be smooth and warm enough for chil-
dren to move safely in bare feet. (Also see the discussion under DRESS.)
Other safety factors may need consideration, too. There should be no
sharp points or items that might be disastrous if run into (the aquarium,
for instance). Also, beware of a wet floor near the water table!
Think about what distractions are present or likely to be present in
your space. This category may include stored items that may be too
tempting for the children to resist exploring. You probably do not want to
spend your energy and dance time saying, 'Stay away from that,' over
and over. Can you remove the items or make them look uninteresting?
(For example, cover them or turn them around to face the wall.) It is also
helpful to have children put away toys and materials; have clean up time
before dance begins. Interruptions are also likely to be very distracting in
any activity working for high concentration. If people always seem to be
going in and out of your space, you may want to consider a polite sign on
your door.
Also consider the aesthetics of the space. Does it invite a magical
quality? You may not be able to do anything about peeling paint, but it is
possible to empty an overflowing trash can and straighten a picture on
the wall.
Is it all right to work outdoors? Some kinds of activities will work out-
side but, in most cases, it is not an ideal space for dance. It frequently is too
large, has a surface that demands footwear, and is filled with distract-ions.
It usually takes much more work to get the quality you are seeking, espe-
cially when children are just beginning to understand this quality.
But, what if you do not have a perfect space? You will rarely have
the ideal space in which to work! You have to adjust, adapt, or elimi-
nate some kinds of activities (and perhaps discover others) because of
the limitations.
r,
, 0
42 PREPARING FOR DANCE
You must also consider when to SCHEDULE the sessions. The best
time of day is always when it feels right, when children are ready to
enter into the magic with you. You probably already plan your sched-
ule to alternate between group and individual activities, between quiet
and vigorous ones. Even though dance is a very personal experience, it
is also a group activity. Dance works best when children are ready to
come together, not when they have had their full of the group and need
to work alone. I remember one 'failure' of a session that I was unable to
figure out until the teacher told me the schedule had changed that
morning and the children had spent an unusually long period listening
and singing together just before I arrived. The children were ready for
free play, and they let me know!
It is important to remember that dance is not a substitute for recess or
free play. It requires a great deal of concentration. But, children also need
time to -mess around' and to play on their own, even on days when the
weather prohibits outdoor play. Many of the activities suggested in this
book could also be done as games or other free or organized play, but it is
important that you recognize, and for the children to recognize, that
lance is a special way of moving.
If you wish to schedule a session right after playground time, you
must ordinarily plan on an extra amount of time for transition if the chil-
dren are to have the kind of concentration you desire. (See the discussion
of transitions in Chapter 4.)
How much time should you allow for a session? It is the children
who determine the length of every session, whether it be spontaneous or
planned, in the sense that, when they are finished, there is no way to make
dance continue. (They may continue to go through the motions, but it will
not be dance anymore.) You will find that the sessions will tend to be fairly
short at first, but will lengthen as the year goes along, up to 30 or 40 min-
utes in a typical classroom. For planned sessions, you will gradually learn
about how long you can expect the children to 'stay with' you (although
they will sometimes surprise you). Flexibility is necessary in dealing with
time. You must know what to suggest as the next activity if the session
ends earlier than you expect. It is also frustrating to have to bring a session
to a close when you are in the middle of something wonderful just be-
cause it is time for another scheduled activity.
In considering the NUMBER of children you can accommodate, you
will need to think first of all of the space you have. Your own confidence
and experience are also determining factors. At the beginning, especially
if you are an inexperienced teacher, you should feel free to start with just a
few children. (If all the children in your classroom are not participating,
however, you will need to plan what to do with the others so that they are
not disturbing.) As you gain more experience, you can expect to be able to
PREPARING FOR DANCE 43
handle larger numbers. The structure of the class will change as the num-
bers i. :Tease. (See Chapter 4 on planning the individual session.)
With assistance, you can expect to handle even more children. If you
have the luxury, having another teacher hanalE problems (tying of hair
ribbons, the bumped knee, toileting accidents) is wonderful; it is essential
with groups larger than about 15.
Ordinarily, ages and social grouping of children also affect the num-
bers you can handle. Your preschool may be organized so that age groups
are separate, or with a span of ages represented in each class. However the
age groups are organized, it is most helpful to keep the children in groups
to which they are accustomed. It will be more di . if you also have to
develop a sense of 'being a group' with children come from diffei..,nt
classrooms and are not accustomed to interacting with each other.
Many teachers prefer to teach mixed-age groups, as the younger
children do learn so much from the older ones. The sessions proposed in
this book are planned for this type of grouping. A group of all younger
children ('younger" refers as much to maturity as it does to age!) will need
simpler, shorter activities; you may need to adapt the classes if you teach
only 3-year-olds. Similarly, you will be able to do more complex activities
if you have only 5-year-olds in your group.
The DRES!" for creative dance ordinarily makes n', idficult de-
mands or .hildren or teachers. Children should be dressed so that they
can move comfortably and safely. Since most preschoolers wear play
clothes, the only real 'issues here tends to be shoes and socks. The appro-
priate attire for this ..ctivity is bare feet, so that the children can have max-
imum control of their movement and have this important body part free.
Many adults dislike going barefoot. Try not to transmit your own prefer-
ence for wearing footwear to the children. Shoes are nct only restrictive
but a potential source of danger; in dance sessions, toes can get stepped
on and even heads can get accidentally kicked if a chiid is making an up-
side-down shape. On most surfaces, wearing only socks or tights is also
dangerous, inviting s, ding and falling. It is highly unlikely that going
barefoot on a carpeted `urface fora half hour will be detrilliental to any-
one's health. If you m' it work on a cold, bare tile floor in the winter, how-
ever, i* may be necessary for the children to keep their feet covered; the
activities will need to be considerably adjusted.
Setting up standard procedures for removing and replacing shoes
and socks makes this task much easier. Establish a designated place in the
room to put shoes (with socks tucked inside). This might be each child's
tubby or shoes can be neatly lined up against a wall. Avoid having them
left in a pile, because that will make retrieval chaotic. As soon as children
have placed their shoes and socks, they may go directly to a designated
starting place (such as the circle.)
C -;
fit)
44 PREPARING FOR DANCE
Part of the preparation you must do as you begin any new activity is with
the children, setting up the ground rules that are essential for the activity
to happen without disaster. These need not be presented as a heavy-
handed lecture, but can be tried out in a spirit of adventure and enjoy-
ment. Of course, just because children hear the rules once does not mean
they will assimilate them; rather, you must give children a chance to try
them on until they become internalized. Some essential ground rules are
as follows.
1. There will be times for making noise and times for being quiet
and still.
56
*et
rrr.
46 PREPARING FOR DANCE
rc. 1
kJ kr
48 PREPARING FOR DANCE
REVIEW
1. Considerations in planning
Finding the best spacesize, arrangement, safety, distrac-
tions, aesthetics
Choosing the best time
Selecting the most appropriate number of children
Dressing for dance
2. Establishing ground rules
Times for noise and times for stillness and quiet
Defining boundaries
Respecting individual space
3. Cultivating the magical
CO
CHAPTER 4
Planning
a Dance Session
49
G:
Once you have made general preparations for dance in your school, you
are ready to begin planning a session. The first question teachers ask is, of
course, 'What will I teach?' Once you have established the ground rules
and made the other preparations suggested in Chapter 3, you can actually
'begin anywhere.'
I usually spend my first two dance sessions with children working
primarily with material from Level I (see Chapter 2). I introduce them to
the idea of moving with magic to make dance and teach them the con-
cepts of freeze, body shape, and shaping. However, material in dance is
not a series of stair steps, each of which must be mastered before moving
on to the next. Rather, each concept or element is related to every other,
and any starting place can lead to all of the other places. You can begin
with any material with which children can become fully involved.
In teaching older children, I often -vase an individual session on a par-
ticular movement concept, bringing it to the students' awareness so that
they may incorporate it into their 'dance vocabulary.' For example, an en-
tire session may be based on levels, and all or almost all of the activities will
be designed to develop an in-depth understanding of the concept. The ses-
sion usually culminates with a created dance using levels, which allows
children to 'pull together' the work of the whole session. This kind of struc-
ture tends to be less appropriate for preschoolers than for older children,
both because young children's potential for development of skills and con-
cepts is more limited and because of the limits of their attentiveness. How-
ever, some movement concepts can lead to a series of movement activities
very appropriate for preschoolers, allowing them to work for a whole ses-
sion with one major concept. An example of such a session, based on
curved and straight lines, may be found in Appendix E.
I think of the structure of a typical preschool class as rather like
'beads on a string,' in which a succession of different movement concepts
is explored, one after the other, to whatever depth is suitable at that par-
ticular moment. This kind of development, however, is not just a collec-
tion of unrelated activities. The concepts may add to each other, perhaps
culminating in a final sequence, such as RunTwirlStretchFall. The
mo- °It concepts may also be tied together by an overall theme that is
move....ent-related. The theme may be an idea (such as fire, balloons, or
feelings) or may be based on a story, poem, or song. Working with move-
ment related to a theme that interests preschool children is one of the
most successful ways to work with this age child, and this is the format on
which I will concentrate here.
The actual process of planning a session has five steps:
1. Choosing a theme.
2. Brainstorming.
50
G2
PLANNING A DANCE SESSION 51
3. Developing activities.
4. Planning the flow of the session.
5. Planning for space and materials.
CHOOSING A THEME
In choosing a theme, there are several things to think about. First, the ma-
terial should excite you as a teacher as well as be meaningful to the chil-
dren, based on their experiences. Perhaps this is one reason why seasonal
themes tend to work very well. In the peak of autumn, both the children
and I feel excited about leaves and the way they hang, drift, and fall. Holi-
days are another obvious choice, as are special events (such as the circus).
Do consider the potential interest of your students in whatever theme you
select. I remember a wonderful session I led for 5- and 6-year-olds, deal-
ing with the theme of teeth (crooked and straight, pointed and curved,
wiggling and falling, biting and chewing); this theme was of great signifi-
cance to children losing teeth. However, the same material was of little in-
terest to 3- and 4-year-olds, as I promptly found out!
Another important consideration is that the theme should be full of
movement possibilitiesmovement and shape wor i.: should come read-
ily to mind when you think about it. It is probably p,s sible to dance about
almost anything, but some ideas are more limited than others. A theme of
'fruits and vegetables,' for example, would probably have more possibili-
ties for a sensory awareness session than for a movement session. z'ome
themes involve movement that is mostly pantomime, and they are, there-
fore, harder to extend to dance. For example, getting dressed involves zip-
ping, buttoning, tying, etc. However, .11 of these movements are so
specific that it is harder, though not impossible, to open them up to move-
ment w..h more possibilities. In choosing such a theme, you will have to
stretch your imagination beyond the usual and think of such things as
tying yourself into a knot or buttoning your hand to your knee.
It also is important to look it the values you are reinforcing in your
selection. I am particularly concerned with trying to avoid stereotypes.
This does not mean that I cannot choose Indians as a theme, but that I
must be very sensitive as to how I develop it. The stereotype of the 'Indian
war dance" does nothing to help children appreciate the richness of the
Native American heritage. Some preschool children may be very inter-
ested in dramatic play about superheroes; since this play tends to be very
movement-oriented, you may think this is an appealing theme for chil-
dren. I choose not to encourage this kind of play, as it seems to bring out
52 PLANNING A DANCE SESSION
BRAINSTORMING
Once you have selected your general theme or major concept(s), the next
task is to brainstorm related ideas in movement terms. This means think-
ing of everything you know about the subject that could translate into
motion and/or shape. At this point, do not stop to worry about how you
PLANNING A DANCE SESSION 53
Theme: Snow
Snow itself:
Falling
Covering
'R'owing /Drifting
. iting
Softness (as snow), hardness (as ice)
Snowflakes, icicles, snowballs (shapes)
People in the snow:
Shivering
Rolling (snowballs)
Throwing, dodging
Leaving footprints and bodyprints (snow angels)
Poems about snow:
'First Snow" Marie Louise Allen
The More It Snows" A. A. Milne
Books about snow:
The Snowy DayEzra Jack Keats
After you have a list of ideas, you are ready to develop them into move-
ment activities.
DEVELOPING ACTIVITIES
As you were brainstorming, you were probably beginning to get some pic-
tures in your mind of your children doing the movement. In the next plan-
ning step, you will really begin to imagine yourself leading a session and
your children responding. This step is actually three steps:
1. Translating your idea (from the theme) into a movement concept or
concepts.
2. Planning an exploration of the movement concept (finding different
ways to move that fulfill the concept).
3. Planning a structure fora dance, in which children can use the move-
ment they discovered during the exploration.
I will discuss these one at a time. The process may sound cumbersome and
intimidating but, with a little experience, it will become quite intuitive.
Then, planning will take much less time.
6E
PLANNING A DANCE SESSION 55
JJJJJJ7J J J J'
slow-ly grow-ing in- to a shape and freeze it.
67
56 PLANNING A DANCE SESSION
An instrument may add to your voice to extend possibilities, but can never
replace it for working with young children.
Once you are experienced, you will be able to improvise accompani-
ment for exploration in dance without prior planning. As you begin, how-
ever, you will probably need to plan and practice it while an imaginary
group of children dances.
To summarize, the exploration is a time to get acquainted with a par-
ticular movement and some of its possibilities. The theme you are work-
ing with should be thought of as a jumping off point, not as a limitation.
6 c'
I. j
PLANNING A DANCE SESSION 57
What you might say to introduce the idea of the dance. (It can be
very simple, such as Now let's do a sprinkling dance, so you can use
some of your favonte ways to sprinkle.")
The beginning sets off the dance from 'everyday" movement; having
a clear beginning helps children distinguish when they are dancing and
when they are not. A definite beginning also heightens the children's
awareness of the wonderful moment of expectation when "dance is about
to begin." I ordinarily ask for a moment of stillness, er' iuraging the chil-
dren to pay attention to what their muscles feel like just before they start
danci-7 and how the air feels. This request needs to be delivered, not as a
heavy-handed "QUIET!" but with a magical voice to encourage the won-
der of the moment. During your planning time, imagine how you might
begin the dance.
Once the dance begins, you need to have a way to keep it going. Ex-
perienced dancers may complete an entire dance in silence, but beginners
of any age ordinarily need some sort of accompaniment to support the
movement and sustain their involvement. As in the exploration, you may
often use only your voice and a simple instrument to accompany a dance.
However, at some point during a class, you will want to use music. Unless
you are or have access to a musician. this means using recorded music.
Appendix A contains a number of --iecific suggestions for selecting and
using recorded music. During your p.anning time, select the music you
will use for the dance session Try it out and then label it so you will have it
ready for immediate use; if you are using taped music, wind the tape to
the beginning.
The i nding for a preschool dance involves a freeze or some other
way to stop the movement (such as melting down to the floor). You may
signal the ending in a vanety of ways; for example, your song may end in a
direction to "Freeeeeze it," the drum may make one louder beat and stop,
and/or you may stop the music on the phonograph. By watching the chil-
dren, you will usually be able to tell when it is the right time to end a dance
(see Chapter 5). It is important that the children know when the dance is
finished, even if each child is choosing his or her own time to e:.. it. I
often say, "Relax now or, 'Turn yourself into a plain ordinary person in-
stead of a magical one" so that it will be clear to children when we are
dancing and when we are not.
It is often difficult to plan the ending of a dance in advance. For now,
as you are practicing your accompaniment, also practice an ending.
Let's summarize this step of the planning process:
Throughout your practic;rig, remember that how you use your voice
is as important as what you say. So, practice with a voice that will encour-
age the quality you hope will be present in the children!
By the time you reach this point, you will probably have decided
that some of your initial ideas are not fruitful in terms of movement or that
you have too many for one session. You may add, discard (and perhaps
save for another session), or combine ideas at any time!
he Initial Transition
The first stage you must plan for is a transition from the previous
activity(ies) to dance. The children may well have been scattered
throughout the classroom, pursuing individual and small-group inter-
ests. If so, your task will be similar to what you ordinarily face at "circle
time": to reestablish the co. esiveness of the group and the bonding of the
group to the leader. At the same time, the children need a chance to settle
in and focus their energies in a new direction. If the children are already
accustomed to coming together in a circle or cluster to receive directions or
to change activities, your task will be easier. In some schools, there is a
standard signal, such as a gentle bell that means, 'Stop what you are
doing and listen.' (Whistles do not work very wellthey always break a
magic spell!)
There are many wa- 'n achieve this transition; some may be di-
rectly relatN1 to the sess follow, although this is not always neces-
sary. The simplest way is d conversation or discussion directed by the
teacher. Other teacher-directed activities, such as songs and finger plays,
may be appropriate. At other times, music might draw the group together,
7u
PLA:., iNG A DANCE SESSION 59
The Introduction
Next, introduce the theme or concept, the working idea for the session.
While sometimes it is relevant to review what they did in the previous
dance session, preschoolers tend to be much more interested in what they
will be doing today. The introduction is more than just a statement of what
ycu plan to do; it is connecting the subject to the ch:turezt, lighting a spark,
making the idea seem wonderful and fascinating tc them. Again, there
are many ways to achieve this goalyou may wish to present an object or
picture, a song, poem, story or music, even special food, or a change of
lighting. I prefer to keep tltis stage rather brief with preschoolers and/or
to combine it with the initial transition since they are easy to motivate and
usually ready to get into action. I most frequently use a simple statement
or share a thought or experience (real or imaginary).
With a fairly small group, asking questions (i.e., "Have you ever
baked bread before ?") may be a good way to draw the children to the ma-
terial; however, there are some possible pitfalls in this approach. Since
preschoolers tend to be most interested in their own story, you may end up
with all talk and no time for moving, with each child having a pressing
need to relate his or her own lengthy story. Before you ask a question,
think about what answers you might expect from preschoolers! Also, the
questioning approach should not be used unless you are interested in
their answers; do not let it become a game of "20 Questions" for the chil-
dren to guess the one idea you are thinking of (i.e., "What do you make
with flour and yeast?').
7
60 PLANNIPG A DANCE SESSION
The introduction ends when interest is high and Lhe children are
ready to enter into the magic with you.
in-place movement with much more free movement through space, re-
turning to a cluster around the teacher when necessary to reestablish the
sense of group or to receive new directions. In a smaller group, the chil-
dren will have more opportunity to move through space and make indi-
vidual contributions to the class. This situation is, of course, ideal.
This 'small-to-large pattern of organizationlike most of the sug-
gestions in this bookshould be considered a helpful guideline rather
thar an ironclad rule. If a different kind of organization works for you,
the.. use it. The smaller and/or more experienced the group, the more
flexibility you will have. Your experience, too, will make a difference in
terms of how much structure you give a class.
You have probably already considered the beginning and ending of
each activity; you may need to adjust these so you can move smoothly
from one activity to the next, and think about what transitions, verbal or
otherwise, will be needed. For example, if the children have just run
through space and then melted to the floor, they will be scattered about
the room. If you need them to be close together for the next activity, you
will need to find a way to get them there.
I try to include at least one time in each class when I touch every
child. This has become important to me in maintaining my connection to
each individual, and has become important to the children as well, so
that they frequently find ways to request such moments. ("The shirts
need ironing . . . iron us by touching us,' a child told me once, in the mid-
dle of our "laundry dance) There are many opportunities for this to
occur within activities (ci'ecking to see if the body is tense or relaxed, for
example), but transitions between activities also offer times for trans-
porting a child in a held shape, as pre \ usly discussed, or perhaps a
gentle touch on the shoulder as a signal to be ''blown by the wind" or to
return to the circle.
The Ending
The end of the class should bring the children down from their high level
of activity, relax their bodies, and clear their minds for the next event of
the day.
During the ending, you may wish to briefly review the material cov-
ered; this will help the children retain what they learned. Some common
ways to review are:
r1
a 0)
62 PLANNING A DANCE SESSION
3. Ask the children to sit quietly as you review the movement words
and ideas, and let their muscles remember Inside" what they felt like
doing that movement.
4. Ask each child to tell you his or her favorite part of th° class.
"Lie down on your back, close your eyes, and listen to the rain
falling in your mind. See if you can really feel it gently fall-
ing on your arms, legs, head, . .
Let all the feelings get washed out of you now, so you are really
env and floppy and can start with new fresh feeling for
sonic- thing we'll do next. . . ."
Consider where the children will be spatially at the end of the class
so you can plan the transition to the next event of the day You may want
them to gather back together or you may dismiss them to another space. It
may be time for bathroom visits or putting on coats. It usually will be time
to put shoes and socks back on. To avoid a wild scramble for shoes, you
may ask children to return to the circle, and bring them their shoes.
Procedures for ending a dance session are very important. One of
the nicest 'fringe benefits' of dance is the good feeling that can continue
for a period of time afterwards do not le it be destroyed by allowing
chaos to erupt! I have often found it helpful to dismiss children to the next
activity one at a time, giving them a reminder about appropriate behavior
that is in some way related to the session (for example, 'Keep that peaceful
feeling with your or "Go as softly as the softest snow").
Now, let's look at some actual lesson plane based on the two
themes we brainstoimed earlier. Other sample lesson plans may be found
in the Appendix. Remember that many different lesson plans can arise
from the same theme. Also, as you read these, keep in mind that an actual
session almost never goes exactly as planned. How these sessions might
actually turn out is discussed in Chapter 5.
Theme:Snow
(Note that this plan involves "adding onto' a sequence, building a longer
dance at the end. Such an approach is more appropriate for 41/2- to
5-year-olds. The last dance structure would probably not be as successful
for younger children.)
- 111No.._
.,.
"I
an
Making shapes with points and holes.
P';
1U
PLANNING A DANCE SESSION 65
Phonograph
Record, Snowflakes Are Dancing ((Tomita) ERCA, ARL
1-0488)
Pictures (1) Snow coming cars
(2) Snowflakes (cut out of paper)
Drum
Bell
5. Transition: 'Now the dough is ready to rise. Pick a spot in the danc-
ing space where you would like to rise; go there and lie down on the floor.'
6. Idea: Dough rising; punching down dough and letting it rest
PLANNING A DANCE SESSION 57
8. Transition: When all the shapes are baked, I'll put them over on this
side of the room. Hold your shape just hard enough so that it will not fall
apart when I pick you up."
9. Idea. (Story) While the bread cools, the baker takes a nap and P11 of
the breads "magically start to dance.
Concept: Free choice of movement to music
Activity: (a) Tell the story: A baker leaves all of his bread shapes
out to cool while he goes to take a nap in the back of
the shop. While he sleeps, the 'mead shapes come to
life and start to dance, dancing about all of the kinds of
movement used in baking bread: sprinkling, stirring,
kneading, rising and punching down, resting, and
making shapes. They dance so much they turn into
dancing children. By the time the baker wakes up, all
L
he sees are children sitting in a circle; the bread has dis-
appeared. To this day, the baker doesn't know where
68 PLANNING A DANCE SESSION
10. Ending: Ask the children if they can remember how to make their
muscles as sof. as soft dough. Then ask them to make their
muscles just hard enough so they can go to get their shoes.
Equipment:
Drum
Phonograph
Records: 'Music for Things that Are Quiet; from Adventures in
Rhythms, Ruth White. (Rhythms Productions CC 623)
'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy; from The Nutcracker
Suite (any recording).
80
PLANNING A DANCE SESSION 69
REVIEW
1. Choosing a theme
2. Brainstorming
3. Developing activities
Translating ideas into movement concepts
Planning an exploration of the movement concepts, including
accompaniment
Planning dance structure, including accompaniment
4. Planning the flow, including introduction, transitions, and ending
5. Planning for space and materials
CHAPTER 5
Conducting
the Class
I11=.
V
.711111,114.-
A 1.111111..' rr
70
2
Once you have prepared a complete lesson plan, you have made .. ln-
siderable investment. Your ideas are marvelously creative, well s -,
your children, and arranged in a logical order. You are probably rat '-
tacked to the whole thing. This attachment is the biggest danger of all, be-
cause your job in conducting the class will be to connect not to your lesson
plan, but to the childrenwho almost never respond just as you expect
them to. Connecting to the children does not mean putting a lesson plan
on a group. However, neither does it mean children just doing anything
they want.
There are two major ways that you connect to children in the class.
One is by responding to their ;deas and feelings. Another is by using your
energy appropriately. Both of these aspects will be discussed in this chap-
ter. We will also look at the evaluation process in teaching darce to pre-
school children.
The class itself operates on two interrelatt.., levels: ideas and feelings. The
ideas we are especially interested in during a dance session relate to move-
ment (the concepts discussed in Chapter 2) and/or the content (theme) of
the session We notice a child's ideasarid share our ownthrough both
wards and actions. For example,
You worked out your ideas during the planning period; now, as you
lead the session, be very observant of el en's ideas. It will be very help-
ful if you practice observing children's movement, so you can recognize
readily what you see:
What body parts arn being used (what parts are moving and what
parts are supporting weight).
Identifiable movements (rolling, wiggling, pushing, twisting).
Aspects of space, time, energy, and relationship.
You may want to spend some time just watching children move on the
playground, naming to yourf elf what they are doing.
71
b:3
72 CONDUCTING THE CLASS
Feelings are also revealed through words and actions. For example.
INTERACTION
Both ideas and feelings serve as the material for interaction, the process
through which the class is conducted. We may think of interaction as a se-
ries of connected and related respo ;es between the children and the
teacher. It is a give and take relatior nip in which teachers and children
respond to each other. The teacher is not always 'the boss,' but neither are
the children. Maintaining interaction in a sessicn is important for several
reasons. Anyone who has worked in a creative acti- ity with children
knows that their ideas are just as significant as those of adults, and many
times are even more imaginative. Too often, we lead children to think that
their ideas are inferior to ours; when we use their ideas as well as our owr
we can help correct this misunderstanding.
An additional reason is very practicalthere will be chaos without
Children are not machines who will do our bidding when we say jump;
if their needs are not being met, they will find a way to get them met. If
children are disinterested or uncomfortable with material we present, or
they do not understand, they will tune out and find someth.ng more in-
teresting to do, no matter how disruptive that might be.
The process of interaction works like this:
Step 1. The teacher first offers an idea, usually in the form of an activity.
This activity may be from the lesson plan, or simply a response to some-
thing else the children are doing. For example, you could say, 'Can you
push hard against the floor with your feet ?' or 'Try spmn g lightly on
your bottom.'
CONDUCTING THE CLASS 73
1. They may stay with your idea. In this case, they are following your
preplanned expectations from the lesson plan, following directions given,
answering questions asked, and finding variations of the original idea. In
terms of feelings, there will be believable involvement rather than leth-
argy, boredom, or hyperactivity.
2. They may offer a new but related idea. For example, you might suggest
light tapping as a way to experience the idea of sprinkling yeast, and a child
may begin to shake a body part instead to capture the sense of sprinkling.
As you are working with the idea of stirring, a child may say, "My dad puts
eggs in the dough. Let's put eggs in.' There will frequently be a spontane-
ous and rather bursting sense of discovery for the child at this point. You
will also notice a real investment of the self; the child's enthusiasm and sin-
cerity at that moment are telling you that you must "go with it.' This behav-
ior may be noiser than usual, but the noise is focus"d and purposeful.
3. They may drop your idea completely, either for their own ideas or for
some degree of chaos. A different quality and leve' of noise occurs at these
times. The cohesiveness of the group -rids to dissolve, with children
"doing their own thing' as individuals t,. :n small groups, responding ;-o
assorted outside stimuli more than to the teacher. Usually, they will have
lost the sense of magical quality and the behavior will look more like 'just
aying around.'
Step 3. The teacher responds to the children. If they shy with your idea,
stay with the lesson plan and be alert for additions and expansions the
children may make. If there is little variation among the children, you may
try to expand the directions, either with more guidance ("Can you find a
twisted shape that is upside down ?') or more openness ("See if you can
twist into a shape I have never seen before ").
If they offer r ew but related idea, develop and structure their ideas
as you did with your own during the planning . . . through exploring and
forming. ('Justin is sprinkling by shakinglet's try shaking our toes. . ."
or ''You have to make a hard, quick movsmnent to crack an egg. . . When
you hear the drum, can you do a hard, quick movement ?')
If they drop your idea completely, it is important to be willing to let it
go. Some of the activities children invent to do on their own when they
have lost interest are very imaginative; if there are several children in-
volved, it is sometimes possible to bring the group to a new focal point
74 CONDUCTING THE CLASS
around this activity and go on from there. (You should not, however, feel
obligated to develop every idea the children offer; children who continu-
ally seem to be on a very different wavelength may simply be indulging in
some unique attention-getting behavior, which you may not always want
to reinforce.) Otherwise, you can simply acknowledge that your idea was
not working and that the children's idea is a very original one. The next step
is to reestablish the col -siveness of the class (which feels like 'starting
over') and then go on to another item ra the lesson plan (or something else
that seem.; more appropriate). It is impz.rtant to stop the activity before real
chaos breaks out, before the chu n tune you out completely.
It is also important to bi -ware of why the children have dropped
your idea. Many times, children simply cannot stay with a particular Kind
of quality of movement as long as the teacher expects tI'°m to; children
have a different sense of timing than adults. Other times, _hildren may be
feeling that their own contributions of related ideas are b'ing ignored,
and they need to otherwise establish their input to the class. There may be
other reasons that have little if anything to do with the session or the
teacher. (See Chapter 6 for more specific discussion of some of these
situp tions.)
Interaction
Teacher Offers an idea
Children Stay with or Offer a new or Drop teacher's
Respond idea but related idea completely for
idea their own activity
I i I
Teacher Stays wi'll Develops Starts over based
Responds lesson idea offered on children's activ-
ity, or brings chu-
dren back together
for a new
beginning
Teacher: As you finish putting the toys away, I will play a record about the
kind of day it is outdoors 'Winter Wonderland.'
bC
CONDUCTING THE CLASS 75
Children: (Finish putting toys away and then gather around the teacher)
Tea:lier: We've been extra noisy in the classroom this morning. I thins
it's because we haven't had enough good weather to play outdoors
recently. I'll bet some of you feel like running and jumping in a
snowdrift right now! We don't have room for that kind of running,
but can you tr Ike a big jump right where you are, without jumping
on anyone?
Children: (Respond as expected, with yelling and shrieking)
Teacher: Those were very noisy jumps! Can yor try making the quietest
jump in the world?and now a big noisy one?and now a quiet
one?
Children: (Respond as expected)
Teacher: Sometimes snow makes me feel like playing hard and being loud,
and sometimes it makes me feel quiet and magical inside.
Child: I like to throw snowballs!
Teacher: That's fun to do outside, isn't it! But what can we do inside with
the snow?
Child: Make a mess!
Teacher: You'r right. We don't usually bring real snow inside.. .
Teacher: You're reminding me that it's time for a noisy sound. Let's make a
noisy sound, but we'll make it more difficult. Don't use your voice.
Children: (Respond as expected)
Teacher: And now the soft sound
And now the loud sound
And now the soft one
Can you stand up and fall down noisily, like Adam?
Can you fall down as softly as the snow? (Sing 'Falling soft
as snow.")
Children: (Most respond with slow, silent falling. One child falls more
quickly, making a little noise in the process.)
Teacher: Let's try something. I will play a song on the bells, for light run-
ning, and you run as softly and full of magic as you canas soft as
the most quiet snow. Then, when the bells stop, you fall down, either
gently and softly like snowflakes, or with a little plop like a hank of
snow. (Sings and plays)
Teacher: The running part was so full of magic, but I couldn't tell whether
you were falling softly like snowflakes (demonstrate) or with a little
plop (demonstrate). Can you try to make it very clear so I will know
which one you pick? Decide in your mind which one you will pick
. . . Ready, and(Repeats song)
V' ',..1
CONDUCTING THE CLASS 77
spouses, as shown in the example above. Other times, the session may
turn out to be completely different. I recall once attempting to lead a ses-
sion on the theme of baking bread, and 0. turned out that one child's fa-
ther was a baker. Jonathan informed me uiat his father's recipe was quite
different, and led us through every step to take!
ENERGY
EVALUATION
90
CONDUCTING THE CLASS 79
significant moments you observe: Your knees look very important in that
walk" or Your whole self looks stretched, all the way through your finger-
tips." This is not something else you must do as you watch the class; it
merely verbalizes what you are observing and identifying to yourself as
you structure the activities of the class.
Children should share in the evaluation process as, they begin to no-
ti, _ themselves as well as the grcup. Whenever childrE a dance individu-
ally or in small groups, other children should be encouraged to watch
("See what parts they use") and be given space to make comments. There
also are times you might say at the conclusion of an activity 9r a whole ses-
sion, ''How did that work" and 'Why did it work ?" At first, children may
not respond .1t all to these questions, and then only at the level of 'No-
body was messing around that time." But, as you continue to reinforce
their awareness, helping them to see and giving them a vocabulary for ex-
pressing what they see, their awareness will grow. Eventually, a child will
realize such things as, "It was exciting because at first it was slow and then
there was a fast part" or "I liked the part when only our eyes moved.'
Many people use praise as a way of giving feedback, as in 'That is a
beautiful shape or 'That's a g' ad run." While we usually think of praise
as having nothing but positive benefits, sometimes there are negative ef-
fects. Frequently, a child may react to an adult's praise by repeating the
same behavior over and over, assuming that that way is the only right
way. This may be fine when we are trying to shape definite behaviors, but
it can be a p.oblem in creative activities when we want a child to continue
exploring and finding other ways to move. In addition, when we praise an
individual in front of the group, others may well copy (thinking His must
have been the best") or demand reassurance ('Was mine good too ?'). If we
simply tell children 'That's good' without being more specific, they may
come to mistrust us, to think we are giving praise without really looking or
really meaning it.
While we frequently hear -Everyone needs praise,' probably what
people need most of all is to be noticed and feel important. Giving chil-
dren specific feedback about what you observe ("You're moving in such
slow motion") and how you feel ('1 felt all tingly when I saw yoi_ dance"),
tells a child he or she is important enough for you to really notice. This of
course does not mean that you should never praise a child's efforts, but
rather that you should be aware of other means for conveying informa-
tion and building self-esteem.
When I use my own voice to accompany dance sessions, I often in-
clude observational feedback as part of the accompaniment. For example,
I might be singing directions for 'Painting the air . . . put the paint every-
where and can include 'joy is using her elbows" or 'Jim is painting spots
on the floor with hi,., feet."
80 CONDUCTING THE CLASS
92
CONDUCTING THE CLASS 81
Potential Problems
and Some Suggestions
for Handling Them
et _
rs;
.
82
How often teachers have thought to themselves, 'It would have been a
great class . . . if it hadn't been for the children!" And yet, of course, teach-
ing children is what we are doing, and children are children, not machines
who respond to every button pushed in a predictable way. The days when
everything reaches perfection are ones to treasure and nourish us on the
days when everything goes wrong.
Ther' are a number of things you can do to help diminish the
number of days when everything goes wrong; these have already been
discussed in the chapters on planning and te achinb. To summarize,
they include:
apart, do not try to continue with your idea, but instead deal with the im-
mediate problem, which is the chaos.
Instead of blaming the children ("Why can't you ever listen?"),
simply label the situation (-This isn't working.") and return to the circle
or other position of order. In situations of complete chaos, it will be im-
possible to pull off an enlightened discussion of why it did not work.
The more experience you have, the more skillful you will become at
redirecting an activity before it falls apart; then, these times will become
rare indeed.
Let's take a look at some of the more frequent behaviors of young
children that get in the way of dance, and some possible ways to handle
them. Also see the section on disruptive children in Chapter 8 for sugges-
tions on dealing with this kind of problem.
THE NONPARTICIPANT
If this is not routine behavior for the child, and if there is no response to
your initial attempts at encouragement, you may just conclude that the
child is taking a "day off,' and allow some space for daydreaming. If a
child regularly withdraws, not just from dance but from other activities as
well, it may be an indication of other problems. See the section on chil-
dren ,..-e withdrawn in Chapter 8.
.1 you elect to allow children a choice as to their participation, you
must set clear limitations for the nonparticipants. It is very impertant to
maintain an atmosphere in which concentration is encouraged; any in-
teresting noise or activity by their peers can be very distracting for young
children. I do not allow anything else to be done in the dancing space,
and require that others in the room not disturb. If possible, try to have
another adult supervise the nonparticipants so that your attention will
not be divided. You may also find ways to include the nonparticipants in
the class. (Many of them will be doing the activities with you on the side-
lines anyway.)
It is also appropriate to mention the problem of the boy who claims,
This is sissy.' The child probably got the idea from a not-too-liberated
sibling or father and, fortunately, this sort of attitude is dying out. How-
ever, it is important to look at your material and be certain that you are
giving the children opportunities to move with strength as well as gentle-
ness, go fast as well as slow, and make twisted, ugly shapes as well as
beautiful, curved ones. If a child has this concern, it will abo help to direct
some particularly challenging activities his way for a while, especially
some dealing with strength, balance, coordination, and control.
;) ?
86 POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND SOME SUGGESTIONS
I have also learned that, just because a child is not actively partici-
pating does not mean that the exposure is not having an impact. On sev-
eral occasions, I have had children who would do nothing more than
watch from a distant corner; after months of this I would hear from the
parent: 'Joey loves your class . . . every Wednesday he comes home and
shows us everything he did with you in class!' This reminds me that chil-
dren may have different ways of participating.
CONTAGION
The sillies (and the giggles)We all have them at some point, and
hey are very contagious! Sometimes you can:
(a) Make a giggle dance, by having one part *giggle," then another
part, then another; eventually, the whole self giggles. Try it with
and without sound and then collapse and relax. After doing
such a dance a few times, the children will usually be ready to go
on to something else.
(b) Use it as a jumping off ,-,oint to explore feelings . make a silly
. .
angry shape, etc. Use plenty of freezes so this will help redirect
children instead of winding them up.
2. Excess noise, sound effects (a particular problem when using an
image that makes a noise).
(a) Have the children freeze their bodies so they can put all of their
energy into the sound, and then give them an opportunity to
make a lot of sound. Then tell them that they will need to stop
the sound and give them the directions for moving. Alternate
sound and silence several more times. (See the sample session in
Chapter 5.)
(b) Give the children an invitation to make a sound, one so soft that
no one else can hear what it is . . . only their secret self, as they
move. This often creates an especially high level of concen-
tration; reinforce their awareness of the magical quality it
creates.
(c) Practice a "silent yell" (without any sound coming out). Try a si-
lent yell with other body parts as well. Do the same with other
sounds, such as laughing, crying, and whispering.
3. Mass collisions. (This may be contagious behavior, assuming that
the space is large enough to avoid this, and the children have demon-
strated previously that they can do so.)
Despite the fact that it can be a great deal of fun to bump into peo-
ple, this usually must be stopped immediately with an appeal to safety
("We cannot dance today if we cannot keep from bumping."). However, if
it is just getting started you may be able to ask the children to get as close
together as they can without touching ("make yourself very skinny and
use your most careful self"), and then as far away as they can without
leaving the dancing space. Alternate these two if you feel the children can
handle it.
4. Hiding under the tables or other furniture.
(a) Pull out the most fascinating object you can find and go to the
other side of the room to show it. Perhaps this is the time for all
of the children to gather round to play the drum?
(b) Go to the other side of the room and announce in a loud voice
that you are going to close your eyes and take a rest, and you
certainly hope that the children do not play a trick on you by
sneaking out to gather in a circle around you. (When they do, ac-
knowledge the 'trick" they Hayed on you.)
(c) Direct the children to 'find a hiding place where no one can see
you . .. then 'find a spot in the middle of the room so that
everyone can see you and you look very important."
:) z;
88 POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND SOME SUGCESTIONS
(d) Beware that hiding can become a favorite game very quickly;
you may well wish to have a review of the ground rules (Where
is the dancing space?) if this happens more than very
occasionally.
5. Outside distractions (fire engine just went by; there is a cat fight out-
side; snow begins to fall, etc. . . . and everyone rushes to the window).
Don't fight it. Join the children so that it becomes a shared group ex-
perience and you can maintain the cohesiveness of the group. Then, if the
event passes, return to the circle. If there is time, you can begin again . . .
perhaps with a new theme suggested by the exciting event!
6. The pervasive fantasy (I'm not Jennifer; I'm a cat today."Me too,
. Meow').
. .
1bu
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND SOME SUGGESTIONS 89
If children are making fun of someone else (laughing, name calling, etc.),
you must stop this immediately. It is not necessary to scold the individual
involved, but announce firmly and matter of factly, In our class we don't
make fun of people; we give them encouragement and help them feel
good.' If this problem recurs, deal with it more extensively outside the
dance session, exploring with the children the feelings leading to it and
resulting from it.
If the problem is generally _toying another person (feet in his or
her face, etc.), the first step should be either to speak privately to the indi-
viduals involved ('In this class we stay in our own space, and do not put
our feet in other people's faces."), or nonverbally separate the children in-
volved. The second step is to do whichever of the above you have not
tried. For the next step, privately say, 'It looks like you don't feel like danc-
i 1 today. Come sit in this chair until you can find a way to dance without
irbing others.' If this is routine behavior on the part of any one child,
treat it as you would disruptive behavior (see Chapter 8).
If children are actually fighting or demonstrating other aggressive
behavior, your actions will have to fit the seriousness of the incident. Un-
less you have another adult who can remove the children involved, you
will usually have to stop the session and deal with this problem as you
would if it occurred in other situations. (Different schools and teachers
usually have a procedure for a cooling-off time, discussion with the chil-
dren, etc.)
work successfully with a partner for any length of time. They ordinarily
get so wrapped up playing with their friend that they lose contact with the
group. Occasionally, however, a pair may actually be working very crea-
tively ar d well together, even though most others in the class are not ca-
pable of partner work. Then, of course, you may want to encourage it. You
may wish to size up a situation before trying to do anything about it.
Occasionally, I have had a day when a great number of the children
were into pairing; then, it has become a day for working with a partner,
usually with more structure than usual. (I may reassign partners, how-
ever, to make for more productive results.)
Another problem exists when everyone wants to sit next to the
teacher . . . Now. Finding a solution to this that will seem fair to pre-
schoolers is rare. You will spend les; time in negotiation, and let them
know it is not a big issue, if you sudeenly find a reason for moving around
or being in the middle of the circle.
Some days are so exciting that it may be unrealistic to compete for the
children's attention and perhaps not worthwhile even to try. It is occa-
sionally possible to have a wonderful session if you choose the exciting
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND SOME SUGGESTIONS 91
event(s) as the theme To the children, dance then becomes part of the
magic of the day.
Depending on the size of your group, it may seem as though it is al-
ways someone's birthday. You may choose to acknowledge this event
with a special activity as part of the initial transition. Some examples are:
1. Let different body parts 'say' hello and happy birthday to the hon-
ored child.
2. Use the rhythm ''Happy Birthday (Jason)- to make an echo activity.
(You clap the rhythm and the children clap it back.)
3. Sing ''Happy Birthday to You while the children gallop, and then
freeze when they hear the birthday child's name.
This is fairly likely to occur after a vacation, but can happen at other times
as well. (Preschoolers' stories often go on and on, and may be unrelated to
the subject at hand.) The regular classroom teacher can fairly easily deal
with this situation, but it can be a problem for the special teacher who is
only there for a limited time period. In a small group, it is often worth-
while to spend some time listening. If you have a large group for a half-
hour time slot, this may not be possible (or else there will be no time ieft
for dance). Preschoolers can learn to defer this kind of need as they gain
maturity and become less egocentric. You will need to give the children
assurance tha: you value their thoughts and stories, and make arrange-
ments for another time to listen. (Perhaps plan to be present while the
children are on the playground.) Be prepared, though, for the children to
have forgotten their urgent need by then; frequently, the need to tell a
story comes more from wanting to be pal t of the crowd than from actually
needing to share something personal and important.
Sometimes, this behavior may be a problem, not with the whole
group, but with aa individual who very much wants your constant at-
tention. Gently but firmly tell the child that you cannot listen at that
time, but make a date to give the child some personal attention soon.
(Immed!ately after the class is a good time; just be sure that you fulfill
whatever agreement you make.) Again, the child's need is a legitimate
one, but you can help him or her learn that there are appropriate times to
get the need met.
92 POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND SOME SUGGESTIONS
Occasionally, you may have a day when, despite your best attempts to
connect with the children, the group just does not come together around
any focal point. The children are not being disruptive; rather, each one
seems to have an individual idea that is so significant at the moment that
the child is unwilling to give it up to share in any group endeavor, and you
cannot find a way to tie these very different moods together. It may be
rather unnerving to hear every child's strong verbal insistence on doing
his or her own idea, but it is important not to berate the children. Rather,
acknowledge them with, 'Each of you seems to have your own special
idea to dance in your own way. I don't think it will work for us all to ' ice
together.' Then, throw away your plan and have a time for free imp. isa-
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND SOME SUGGESTIONS 93
ACCIDENTS
Sometimes, in almost any activity with children, toes will get stepped on
or heads will get bumped. Depending on the severity of the injury, the
child, and his or her mood of the day, the reaction may vary enormously,
from nothing to loud wails and tears. Some children will overreact to an
injury as a means of getting attention. There is always a fine line between
encouraging such behavior and giving necessary and appropriate com-
fort to a hurt child Your judgment at this will be better the more you know
the children. If you have an assistant or another available adult, this is an
enormous help; he or she can remove the child from the center of the
class, determine the severity of the iniury, and tend to the child's emo-
tional and physical needs without attracting a great deal of attention. If
you have to handle it yourself, you may have to stop the class briefly to
evaluate the situation. It would be extremely unusual for a preschool
child to get any kind of serious injury in a creative dance class. If so, of
course, you must provide care immediately. For other injuries, a soothing
response can be a hug coupled with a comment such as, It really hurts
when you bump your head, doesn't it? Sometimes, it helps to sit down for
a couple of minutes.' Also, you will probably want to double check to be
sure that the other children are moving carefully and with respect for
their own and others' bodies.
Toileting accidents may sometimes occur. If you teach young pre-
schoolers, you are probably used to dealing with this situation with as lit-
tle attention as possible and encouraging the children to handle clean-up
themselves as much as they can, to encourage responsibility. However,
wet spots on the floor can be slippery and, therefore, dangerous for
dance. If such problems occur regularly in your classroom, have cleaning
supplies at hand su you can casually mop up while maintaining the conti-
nuity of the class.
This, of course, does not exhaust the list of 'everything children can
possibly do to make teaching more difficult.' Hopefully, however, it will
get you through the initial obstacles in trying a new activity, and give you
courage to meet the challenges that children present.
1 (:
CHAPTER 7
11.1k4;11:11114:.':-
94
in most school situations beyond preschool, much of the child's learning
is fragmented as he or she proceeds from math class to language arts to
physical education. For the preschool child (and probably naturally for all
of us), learning is a much more integrated experience. Is it art or science as
a child mixes colors and discovers that blue and yellow make green? The
child notices curves and angles in letters and then makes them with his or
her own body or draws them in the air; is this language arts or dance?
Everything in the young child's world forms the preschool curricu-
lum, and most ideas and objects in the world can provide more than one
category of experience. The idea of an integrated curriculum is not to use
one medium (such as dance) to teach another, but to allow and encourage
children to use all of their senses to experience the world through a multi-
tude of viewpoints. For example, when we use snow as a theme for a class,
we are not trying to to ich children about snow through movement.
Rather, just as we want children to know snow by seeing it, we also want
them to use their kinesthetic sense to experience the designs, patterns,
and qualities.
The sources and stimuli for dance are all around us, in everything
with shape or motion. The natural world is an obvious choice, as we ob-
serve the weather, the seasons, growing things, wind, water, fire. The
manmade or technological world may seem further removed, but all sorts
of machines, vehicles, construction equipment, clocks, etc., can be excit-
ing to deal with in dance. The holidays, with particular festive shapes, ac-
tivities, legends, and feelings, are a frequent resource for classes. Even
very common everyday activities and events can be experienced in new
ways by abstracting the motion and going beyond pantomimebread
baking as shown in Chapter 4, with its rising, punching, and shaping;
clothes washing, with churning, suspending points from a clothesline,
stiffening with starch, wrinkling, and flattening. Ordinary objects can be
manipulated in many s zyscardboard boxes, crepe paper streamers,
sheets of tissue paper, and so forth. In the Appendix, there is a listing of
some ideas from the world around us that have led to exciting classes with
preschoolers; you will undoubtedly think of many more. These ideas may
be developed into a lesson as described in Chapter 4. Ideas from specific
curricular areas are discussed below.
MUSIC'
Other art forms seem naturally related to dance. One of the first sources
that comes to mind is music. We have already discussed the desirability of
'See Appendix A for additional suggestions on selecting and using music for preschool
dance.
95
107
96 SOURCES AND STIMULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
creating your own songs and sounds with instruments and (especially)
your own voice. In small-sized groups, children, too, can be encouraged
to create their own sounds to accompany their own dances (and, as they
get older, those of other children). Children can also listen to different
sounds and translate these into motion. (Is it a strong sound or a light one?
Is it a high or a low sound? Does it last a long time or a short time?)
1. 0 6
SOURCES AND STIMULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM 97
music with a regular beat and a good sense of motion, and then turning on
the phonograph. Some children will respond immediately and openly to
the music; they will usually have little awareness of what they are doing,
however, and may repeat the same movement over and over again, seem-
ingly 'stuck' in one pattern. You can encourage greater awareness and ex-
tension of their movement vocabulary by using the techniques for
reinforcing awareness discussi- .... Chapter 5. What about children who,
at first glance, seem unrespt , children who are 'just sitting (or
standing) there ?' If you look more closely you will be able to find some
movement, some participation, even though they may not be aware of
ita nodding of the head, a bouncing of the knees, scratching a foot.
These responses should be noted with enthusiasm equal to that given to
the more active children, so they will know they are valued members of
the group and that their responses are acceptat:e. As these children feel
sater, they eventually will begin to use larger body movement as well.
As you respond verbally to the movement of different children, you
will want to 'try it on yourselfto enjoy and/or expand it. For example,
if you take on a child's pattern of forward and backward arm swings, you
can extend it perhaps by reaching up to the ceiling each time, finding new
directions for the swing, or letting the whole body become involved,
maybe even taking you into a turn . . . verbalizing in a few words what
you are doing. The child (as well as, perhaps, other children) may copy
your movement or (hopefully) begin to feel enough confidence and sense
of adventure to try his or her own variation
The more you enjoy this kind of improvisation, the more comfort-
able your children are likely to feel. If you do feel uncomfortable, it usu-
ally is better to acknowledge your feelings to the children ("I sometimes
feel a little embarrassed when I dance just the way I feel. I wish I didn't.")
rather than just acting embarrassed.
The length of time that different children can 'stay with" free im-
provisation varies enormously. At the moment you are realizing some
children have lost interest, other children may be heartbroken to stop this
very personal kind of expression. You will find it very helpful to have al-
ternative activities set up for those who have lost interest, so that children
who desire to continue may do so.
Another use for instrumental music involves a more 'planned' re-
sponse. With the children, you can listen to the music, identifying major
chara _teristics and changes (slow parts and fast parts) and discussing how
to show, for example, strong, loud parts of the music as they dance. You
may experience the same piece of music over and over again on different
days, and the children's awareness will deepen as they begin to hear more
in the music and respond to it m )re fully. Be sure, however, that you begin
98 SOURCES AND STIMULI THE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
with fairly short pieces that are clear and simple (not too many changes),
and limit your discussion to only a couple of points during one session.
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SOURCES AND STIMULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM 99
pleasant and sometimes useful activity for children) takes the place of free
drawing and painting. Sometimes, these records can be used as a
jumping-off point for more creative experiences in dance.
Various action songs and finger plays that you sing with children
fall into the same category. Most preschoolers love mastering these skills
and, at certain ages, may even become adamant about the correct way to
perform them. You can encourage the children to create new motions or
new verses to ihese songs. (What other body part could you use for the
hammer? How else could we show the rain falling? Where else could the
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100 SOURCES AND STFAULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
bumblebee fly?) Other songs that .vc:u know can a:, 3 be adapted for dance
sessions; for example, "Here Comes T..'aer Cottontail' can stimulate a vari-
ety of locomotor movements if 'hopping- is changed to a different kind of
motion in each verse.
LITERATURE
Another art form with much to offer as source material for dance is litera-
ture. Much poetry for young children is rich with images that can be used
to set a general mood, or the words may develop a rhythm pattern. Some
poems may be danced to line by line, like an action song. Any books of
children's poetry will offer you many ideas; a few suggestions are given in
Appendix C.
Children may also create poetry in response to dance activities. In a
class one spring, for example, we explored movement the children no-
ticed in the spring. Some of the suggestions included clouds (making soft
cloud shapes), pansies (making shapes, moving in the wind), new grass
(popping up), trees (blowing in the wind), rain (lightly falling), and eggs
hatching (popping out). I then solicited images for a poem, providing the
form but not the words, which came from these 3- to 5-year-old children:
Crack! Crack!
When the clouds get mad they hit together and the rain goes
pit ter patter
And grass and flowers start popping up
And trees blow in the wind.
The birds come back and they find o place in a perfect pine,
And the baby birds pop out of their eggs
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Children's nooks, too, can be used in very exciting ways. There are a
number of books written about dance and dancers that can give children
a glimpse of the larger world of dance; these books can also set a mood for
dance. There are others that seem even better designed for this purpose;
while they don't usually specify many particular movements, they give a
real sense of the magical quality of dance and sometimes can stimulate a
very exciting session (see the book list in Appendix C).
Some children's books can be used even more directly in a dance
session, with the book itself actually serving as the unifying theme. Since
preschool children are accustomed to being read to, this can be a good
way to begin doing some dance activities, turning occasional points of the
SOURCES AND STIMULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM 101
moments can be handled with a return to the circle or cluster to 'see what
happens on the next page of the book.'
Selecting a book for this purpose involves different criteria than just
picking a good story for listening, or even for dramatization. Look for
books with vivid movement imageryaction words or ideas that can eas-
ily be translated into movement terms. If the actions are primarily every-
day activities, you will need to think of ways to expand them beyond
pantomime. The images and qualities in the book should generally be
more significant than the characters or the plot, since no one child will be
'playing' any character and you will want to be able to explore ideas fully,
without the children being too anxious to find out what happens next. If
you think you have a good choice except for a too-exciting plot, make sure
that the children are very familiar with the tory before you begin; other-
wise, they will be so anxious to hear the story that they will have little in-
terest in dancA_ '
Some books may have only an occasional image worth exploring in
movement; these provide primarily listening experiences, with just mo-
ments of dance time. If you are really choosing a book as the theme for
the ;.lass, however, it is helpful to have a book without too many
wordsjust a line or two per page, and no more than one or two move-
ments on each. If an otherwise good selection is too wordy for use, you
will need to paraphrase the story in order to maintain the continuity of
the dance session.
Do not be too concerned about the length of the book, as long as it
can be dealt with in one- or two-page units; you may wish to spend many
sessions on a single book. In using a book in this way, you will essentially
be working page by page, translating each into a movement concept and
then into activities.
You may well find that, by using books as source material for dance,
your children will get their own ideas for dancing, even from books that
you have not intended to be dance experiences!
SOURCES AND STIMULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM 103
DRAMA
If you already do creative drama in your classroom, you are aware that,
while drama deals with more realistic and everyday movement, there are
many areas in which the two art forms overlap and support each other.
The sensory awareness activities done in creative drama to increase per-
ception and sensory recall can be of benefit in dance as well. They in-
crease children's readiness to sense movement and support the magical
quality that is so essential for dance to happen. Listening, looking, tasting,
smelling, and touching may often serve as transitions to a dance session or
be part of it.
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104 SOURCES AND STIMULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
VISUAL ARTS
The motivation for drawing and painting comes from two sourcesthe
kinesthetic sense (the feeling of and pleasure in the action itself) and the
desire to make a form that one sees.3 The kinesthetic sense motivates the
child's early scribbles, as well as much of the 'doodling' adults do. Many
famous works of art, especially some 'modern art,' are as concerned with
what something feels like as with what it looks like. Awakening the kines-
thetic sense, developing an inside awareness of motion and feelings, can
stimulate this kind of artistic expression. Especially if done right after a
dance session, children may express their sensations from the class in
drawing and painting: strength and lightness; tension and relaxation;
movements such as vibrating, swinging and falling. Large sheets of
paper are most helpful so that children can maintain some of the same
sensations while drawing that they felt while moving.
3For an excellent discussion of the relationship between these two art rms, see Towards
Dance and Art by Elizabeth Watts (London: Lepus Books, 1977.)
1.
SOURCES AND STIMULI THE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM 105
A dance session can also stimulate art work concerned with repro-
ducing visual formmaking wfu you see. While preschool children are
not concerned with accurate reproduction, dance provides experiences
that are related to this skill. Through dance, children increase their per-
ception 4 the form of the human body at rest and in motion (Where does
the body bend? How high can the arms reach?) as well as other objects
that may be dealt with in a class. They become aware of positive and nega-
tive space, the difference between curved and straight lines, and distances
106 SOURCES AND STIMULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
and relationships. They see more. Many themes explored in dance have a
natural extension in art (and vice versa). For example, a class that explores
the shapes and pathways of falling leaves might be followed by making a
collage of gathered leaves.
1+ :.C,1'
108 SOURCES AND STIMULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
12u
SOURCES AND STIMULITHE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM 109
VIEWING PERFORMANCES
Children with
Special Needs
111
All children need to move and to experience what is magical and won-
derful about themselves and their world. Dance is one important way for
all children to satisfy this need. However, many of the activities described
in this book are not accessible to all children, particularly those with sen-
sory or orthopedic disabilities, children who do not understand verbal
language, or those who do not have the social skills to work in a group.
Dance can still be a part of these children's lives, although it requires some
adaptation. In reality, all classes require adaptation to fit the needs of the
particular children involved. Because of this, teaching dance to children
classified as having special needs does not feel much different for me than
working with children considered to be "normal."
This chapter offers suggestions for making dance accessible to
children with selected special needs. It is not intended to be an introduc-
tion to special education. If you are a special education teacher, you al-
ready know (and need to know) a great deal more about teaching these
children. If you are a preschool teacher with an occasional special child
in your class, you will need to consult with specialists and the child's
parents regarding how to best meet tilt child's needs throughout the
school day. Additional resources on dance for special populations are in-
cluded in the Appendix.
Many very young children are preverbal. Even those who understand a
great deal of spoken language may speak little themselves. They deal
mostly in the concrete reality of the present as it appears to them. Their
body control is much less than that of older children. They ordinarily
have little sense of being part of a group, and may not even respond to di-
rections given genera:1y to a whole group (particularly if they have not
previously had group experience). Interaction with these children is usu-
ally on a one-to-one basis even though there may be several children in a
room. However, just because very young children are more limited in
their experiences does not mean that they do not think and feel, or that
they cannot participate in dance.
With very young children, you should build into your day activities
that we may term "predance" or even dance "readiness"activities that
lead to, support, and reinforce an understanding of dance. There are
three categories of these predance experiences. The first is the encourage-
ment of movement in general. This includes providing an environment
where movement can happen, including empty space and interesting ap-
paratus. Preferably, there should be an environment for movement both
indoors and out. Encouraging movement also involves giving approval to
112
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4, ' ''
x
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 113
children when they move, letting them know that you valve their effort
and exploration, regardless of their skill level. We need to give our atten-
tiveness and enthusiasm to children involved in gross motor play and let
them see us as adults experiencing pleasure in using ow own bodies. (We
need to move and play with them at times, and not only sit and watch
them.)
The second category involves encouragement of creative activity
in general. Children should have many opportunities to explore, to
make choices, to do things their own way, and to know that adults value
their contributions. This implies providing an environment in which
there are many possibilities for diversity, many materials that have
ellen-ended uses (e.g., toys and other items that can be played with in
many different ways).
The third category involves encouragement of sensory awareness.
This inclales providing an environment in which there are interesting
things to touch, taste, smell, hear, and see. Beyond that, it involves calling
attention to special experiencesthe cool feel of a piece of satin, the clear
sound of a silver bell, the fragile wonder of the robin's egg. This lets chil-
dren know that such moments are significant enough that you, as an
adult, will take the time to savor them.
Dance with very young children may easily flow out of the kinds of
activities indicated previously. This will occur in spontaneous move-
ments more than in planned sessions, and you may feel more like a fol-
lower than a leader. Your major job will be to connect to what each child is
doing and expand his or her awareness of it. For example, you may see a
child swaying from side to side (or wrinkling his nose or wiggling her
toesor whatever!). You will notice not only that the child is moving, but
also something particular about the movement (the action, the body part,
or some other aspect), and then respond to the child. Some ways you
might respond are:
Whatever response you make will have two effects: it will let the child
know you like his or her movement ait0 it will help the child notice his or
114 CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
her own movement. (The child may not even be aware of the movement
until your response.)
As I interact with very young children, they may copy my move-
ment, but I am generally more interested in having them enjoy and be-
come aware of their own movement. When I dance with a child, I do it for
the pleasure of sharing the experience rather than getting the child to
move as I do. I have found, however, that when I am actively involved
(rather than just sitting and watching), most children will continue danc-
ing for a longer period and will request the activity more often. (We must
remember, though, that children have their own sense of time, and we
need to respect their decision to stop, whenever it comes.)
Just as with older children, some sort of accompaniment will often
sustain the very young child's attention to movement (especially if you
freeze when the music ends and begin to dance when the music begins
again). Playing music for a shared dance time and responding to a child as
suggested above is one of the best ways to encourage a very young child to
dance. Each of the children can continue to move in his or ter own way
while "ou respond to individuals one at a time.
There are also times when an adult nix; initiate dance or dance-like
activities with very young children. This is particularly appropriate with
children who do not initiate themselves. Our first task is to get their atten-
tion. This means saying the child's name and getting close to the child so
that you can be seer. and heard. In the case of children with severe devel-
opmental delays, it is often helpful to initiate attention the same way each
time; for example, you might say, 'Anna, look at me!'
It is often appropriate to pick up a small child so he or she can expe
rience dance while being held. Most parents do this naturally with their
babies, singing and /or dancing to music. Occasionally, adults may get too
rough or frighten a child, which should be avoided. If a developmentally
delayed child is too heavy for an adult to lift, yet this kind of physical con-
tact is desired, the adult can sit or kneel on the floor to hold the child and
still sway or rock to music.
Whenever we attempt to communicate with someone who does not
understand us, even someone who speaks a different language, it is help-
ful to use other signals in addition to the words. Multisensory cues are
particularly important in helping very young children understand us. For
example, if you are trying to help children move with a floppy quality, say
the word and demonstrate the movement at the same time. Oth r signals
include using music that clearly reliects this quality, or demonstrating
with a rag doll. In the case of children with verbal communication diffi-
culties, you may also use sign language to say floppy.
Repetition is important to all young children; in fact, adults often
tire of a favorite activity ,ar story before children do! Repeating activities in
/ :.: 6
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 115
All children, and adults, need to like their bodies in order to like them-
selves. Helping *he child to like his or her body is probably the greatest
contribution can make to the child with an orthopedic disability.
Rehabilitative training, which is very necessary, works primarily on what
the child cannot do, whereas preschool dance works a great deal with
what the child can already do. While some exercises may be woven into
the class and/or used in an introduction, a more important reason for
these children to dance is to experience joy and success with their bodies.
If children do not have use of one part of their body, they can dance
with other parts. Many dance activities can be experienced by those who
are ,onlocomotor, even those who can move only the upper body. Props
may be especially useful for these children in order to extend what the
body can do. Sticks with balloons attached, scarves, crepe paper strip,
and the like are popular for use in this way. (It is, of course, important that
children stay far enough apart so they will not injure each other.) If the
child has a prosthesis, encourage its use as a body part, which it is.
Orthopedically disabled preschoolers may be mainstreamed into a
class with other children. In this case, it is especially important to know
ahead of time as much as possible about the strengths and weaknesses of
these children. I also find it helpful to speak to the mainstreamed child be-
. ze we start, to let the child know I may need help in understanding what
he or she can do. It helps both of us if I can say, 'Mark, can you do this ?" as
comfortably as I would ask any other child if he or she could reach a toy on
a shelf. I try to plan activities that all children can do. However, sometimes
the larger group may need to do some activity beyond the limits of the
mainstreamed child. In such cases, I try to offer an alternative to any child
116 CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
who cannot participate in the usual way, even if it is only to 'watch to see if
they really freeze." As children begin to feel more comfortable with their
bodies and with me, they make their own adaptations and suggestions
(T11 shake when they run '). Sometimes, neither of us can think of a solu-
tion; in those cases, it is better to admit that we are stumped than for me to
get too embarrassed to say anything.
Whenever I have had an orthopedically disabled student of any
age, it has helped the rest of us find new possibilities we might not have
found otherwise. For exan.ple, I used to use wiggling the fingers and
toes when children needed to focus their energy by moving a small body
part. It took a child without fingers to help me realize that eyes and
tongues can also dance.
A
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 117
12;i
118 CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
child hears. You may, for example, ask the child to touch your res to feel
them dancing, or you may touch the child's toes with a bounsing hand.
You can also pick the child up and dance with him or her to the music.
This allows the child to have some sensory experiences in movement
(such as feeling a breeze against the skin while twirling) that are not yet
possible for the child moving alone. It also helps build trust and confi-
dence in yca, if you do not do movement for which the child is not yet
ready. As you dance with t ild, use verbal language that names the
movement you are doing.
Once the child gains trust in you, he or she will be more willing to
move freely while holding your hand or hands. Then, ask the child to
move ,.o you (to your voice), first when you stay in the same place each
time, and then when you move to a different place in the room. At first,
this may involve a couplt o : tentative steps but, eventually, both the dis-
tance and the movement repertoire may be expanded.
You should also use music and touching to help communicate con-
cepts. For example, children need to touch your shape (all over, so they
can get a sense of the whole body involvement to understand this con-
cept. Feeling different curved shapes made z,ut of different materials is
important in helping them understand curves. Hearing light, gentle
music and feeling a feather against the skin can help build an understand-
ing of lightness that can be transferred into their movement.
Children with less severe visual losses may be able to participate in a
group dance experience if they are close enough to the teacher to see what
he or she is doing. For partially sighted children, dance may be an activity
in which they do not perceive themselves as handicapped.
1" 1J % I )
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 119
They are allowed to use the intensity with which they routinely
approach the world.
The activity is careful.), structured.
Most of the following suggestions are valuable for most children, but es-
sential for active and disruptive children.
Children who are easily overstimulated need as much help as possi-
ble in finding the quiet part of themselves. Try to remove distracting
things from the environment while dancing. (For example, move the ger-
bils so they cannot be seen!) Give plenty of time for transition from activi-
ties such as playground time that you know niakc all children 'wilder."
Teach the children how to relax (see Chapter 2). It may take very active
children longer to relax; you may leave them lying on the floor the longest
in a relaxation activity, giving them the time tl- ey need.
Whenever these children find the soft, quiet part of themselves, be
sure to acknowledge it so they have a frame of reference for finding it at
other times. ("Do you remember how you felt when you held the soap
bubble in your hand? See if you can make your whole self that soft and
careful right now.")
In working with very intense and easily excitable children, you need
to match their intensity without matching their loud voices and frantic
movement, because that will stir them even more. You may have to work
intensely to stay calm aid centered.
Highly energetic children help remind us nc t to make dance always
slow, soft, and graceful. You need to include plenty of large, vigorous
movements, such as running, galloping, leaping, and jumping, as well as
sudden strong movements. However, all movement needs to have struc-
ture that includes a beginning and ending, and you need to make sure that
the ending comes before the children get out of control. You will quickly
become sensitive as to how soon you need to end a run with a freeze. Sud-
den shape changes to a drum cue work especially well because they are
exciting yet have the control element built in. Rhythmic accompaniment
also helps to structure the movement and keep the group together. An ex-
ample of an energetic but highly controlled dance structure is one I have
used in a theme of a "magic garden." The weeds pop up, pull themselves
out, and throw themselves away in a dance.
In addition to large, vigorous movement, energetic children need to
do small movement that can help them focus. Moving small body parts,
or even 'making a movement so tiny I can't see it is helpful. Taking tiny
steps (and now even tinier ones!) also helps children control themselves.
120 CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
J I Ji I
pop' (f r e e z e) I Two, (f re e z e) I Three' (f reez e)
Jt $ $
Four' (f reez e) I Five' (f reez e)
$
pull yourself out and
.77 Mti
throw yourself away I (rest and ready to begin again)
I
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.46 "'
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 121
Most disruptive children have a hard time dealing with open space
in any way other than zooming through it. They may benefit from an un-
movable marker (such as a piece of colored tape) on the floor to designate
their spot; I also try to stay as close as possible to that spot.
In addition to children who disrupt accidentally, some children in-
tentionally find ways to disrupt. Such a child is usually a discouraged
child, one who feels that he or she can gain recognition and a sense of
importance only through misbehavior. It is the one skill these children are
sure that they are good at, and they usually get constant reminders of
their success. The best way, then, to deal with this kind of situation is to ig-
nore the disruptive behavior and give plenty of attention to other mo-
ments when the child is successful (even if you have to look very hard at
first to find them). In the process of changing a child's conception of self, I
sometimes try to foil attempts at disruptive behavior, turning them in-
stead into inspirational ideas and thereby defining the child as helpful in-
stead of disruptive. ("Jill is falling down. That gives me an idea; let's all
add a fall at the end of our careful turn.")
So.netimes, behavior may be so disruptive to the rest of the group
that it will be necessary to remove the child. This should be done very
matter of factly, with absolutely no threats, ridiculing, or scolding, and
with as little attention as possible (to avoid reinforcing the behavior you
wish to discourage). In very difficult cases, it may be necessary to have an-
other adult remove the child.
Depending on the severity of the problem and your total contact
time with the child (whether you are a regular classroom teacher or a spe-
cialist that only teaches two half-hour sessions a week), this technique
may take a long time to work. Meanwhile, you may feel that you are ignor-
ing all of the other children and they may begin to make their needs more
obvious. There are times when the best alternative may be to exclude the
child from the dance session for a period of time. This is always a very dif-
ficult decision to make, and is usually fraught with guilt for new (and not-
so-new) teachers, especially since the disruptive child may seem to need
to dance the most. At these times, it helps to remind ourselves that we
cannot solve every child's problems and that other children need us too.
Once I had a very large class in which there were a few children who were
unable to participate without disrupting the whole session. I met with
these children for 10 minutes of very vigorous, very structured movement
activity before I taught the rest of the class. This gave them an experience
of success, rather than failure, at dance and, eventually, they were able to
be integrated into the larger group.
You must remember that different children have different ways of
disrupting, and some children choose techniques that are less obvious
than others (and, therefore, are usually able to continue them longer).
1:V3
122 CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Some children choose very "appealing" ways to disrupt, such as the child
who must always be the leader, the cne who always seems to be the "vic-
tim," the one who always says "Look at me," or even the child who cries
too easily. These children, too, are finding ways to get their needs for at-
tention and self-esteem met. You can best help them by gently but firmly
refusing to respond to demands at inappropriate times, and by making
sure you give them extra doses of attention and feelings of success at ap-
propriate times.
There are a variety of reasons that preschool children may withdraw from
a group. Some reasons were discussed in Chapter 6 in the section on the
nonparticipant. In addition, some children are just less social than others.
Some take longer to feel safe in a new environment or a new activity.
There are many ways that you can help shy children feel more comfort-
able in participating in dance. First of all, you need to °nsure their safety
by enforcing the ground rules. If other children seem to be out of control,
smaller children in particular may feel very unsafe. Just being in the mid-
dle of a large group moving through space may be threatening.
It helps to think small. This means including small movement, using
a small (soft) voice (and avoiding loud noises), and acknowledging even
the smallest contributions of a quiet child. It may also mean working with
children in a smaller group instead of a large one. If you cannot change
the group size, allow children who are feeling overwhelmed to work on
the edge of the group so that they will not feel 'trapped."
Shy children may feel intimidated at first, bL usually will join in
eventually if you make the environment both safe and inviting. Some
children, however, are more than just shy and need more from you.
For the very withdrawn child, relating to others in any activity may
be difficult. When I work with such children, I start out expecting to do all
of the relating, instead of expecting a child to adapt to me. Setting up a
structure in which the child is expected to explore such problems as "what
other parts of your body can you shaker is not likely to be successful. A
more appropriate approach is to play some music, watching for some
movement response in the child (although you may need to watch unob-
trusively while you dance!), and then try to be with the child by sharing
(copying) his or her movement. The movement may gradually change as
we share it; the tiny movement may become larger and the tense move-
ment may become more relaxed.
Some children may find it easier to make a puppet, scarf, or stick
'dance." If that is the case, I start out by acknowledging the movement of
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 123
the object ('The scarf is waving") and gradually begin to give feedback to
the child ("Your arms make it go fast").
I also try to connect in more physical ways. If a child will not take my
hand, perhaps he or she will connect by taking hold of a rope, scarf, or
hula hoop that I am holding.
t 4.)
A. I t)
CHAPTER 9
Leading a
Parent-Child Session
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124
13 c
More and more preschools and day care centers have been finding that
their job has expanded to include not just educating and caring for chil-
dren, but educating parents as well. This may include offerir a lending
library, sponsoring discussion groups, providing information on family-
oriented community-sponsored activities, and sponsoring social occa-
sions for the family. A more unusual kind of event, but one that could
prove to be very special for parents, children, and your school, is a
parent-chill dance session. This means a session in which parents par-
ticipate, not just for the sake of their children, but to do something for
themselves and their relationship with their children as well. Activities
are designed to be challenging and satisfying to both parents and chil-
dren; but, rather than just prfnriding for parallel (side-by-side) partici-
pation, they should encourage interaction, cooperation, and mutual
respect and trust. The child can be the leader of the parent as frequently
as the reverse.
Such a session can serve many purposes. It is a wonderful way to
share with parents what you have been doing with the children without
setting up a performer-audience situation. It provides a chance for par-
ents and children to enjoy their own movement and each other in a very
special way. It can set up the framework to continue this kind of interac-
tion at home on their own, giving them a new activity to share. Finally,
many parents have reported therapeutic effects in the relationship with
their child following such a session.
You may be asking, 'Would parents be interested in this kind of
experience?' More and more adults are becoming interested in redis-
covering their bodies, as shown by the increased popularity of jogging
and other athletic pursuits, and activities that can integrate the whole
body, including dance. Of course, many adults would be threatened by
the idea of 'dancing,' but the actuai session should not be threatening to
anyone. It is important to be just as concerned with the parents' feelings
in these sessions as you are with the feelings of the children. It might be
helpful to call it a 'movement session,' initially avoiding the word dance.
You also might wish to plan sessions in more familiar media first (such as
a parent-child art class) to accustom them to the general idea.
Depending on your intent and the setting in which you will be
working, a parent-child dance session could take 10 minutes as part of an
Open Housf_, with adults moving while sitting in their chairs, or could
range up tow 1-hour afternoon or Saturday morning event; sections of the
plan that follows could be used for minisessions. The session would ordi-
narily be divided into three parts: a warm-up, the body of the session, and
the ending.
125
126 LEADING A PARENT-CHILD SESSION
THE WARM-UP
Preschool children are ordinarily so active, and their muscles are so flex-
ible, th... it is not usually necessary to do separate warm-up exercises for
the typical half-hour sessiol . However, the situation is different for
adults, and you should plan a wi.rm-up to avoid strain and possible in-
jury. The warm-up can also serve other purposes. It can be fairly directive
(which can make adults feel more comfortable at first, knowing that they
are not being asked to contribute anything 'creative'), and it can be de-
signed to provide a chance for the child to help the parent (a real role re-
versal for many).
For the warm-up, you should plan activities that will increase
the core body temperature and allow the muscles and joints of the
body to start working so they will be able to move more strenuously
during the class.
Light jogging is a good way to make the body feel warm. The child
can lead the parent in jogging around the room; when you give a signal,
they can turn around so the parent leads the child. From this activity, it is
easy to make a transition to showing the difference between just jogging
and 'magic running.'
After everyone feels warm (which can happen fairly quickly in a
warm room), you need to focus on specific body parts and joints. It may be
helpful to make a list of major parts:
Head
Neck
Torso (including hips, abdomen, shoulders, and back)
Arms (and elbows)
Hands (and wrists)
Fingers (ordinarily do not need special warm-up)
Legs (and knees)
Feet (and ankles and toes)
Ordinarily, you should start in the middle, with the largest body part
(torso) and work outwards toward the smaller parts at the ends. This may
feel like more of an exercise period than dancing, although you may want
to use music to provide a 'background.' However, unless you have signifi-
cant understanding of the principles of safe exercise, you should probably
stay away from more traditional exercises, many of which are potentially
LEADING A PARENT-CHILD SESSION 127
A Hugging Dance. Explore hugging parts of one's own body that do not
get enough attention (feet? shoulders? nose?). Then, let parent and child
find different ways to hug each other. To create the dance, parent and
child hug each other, then dance apart for an individual hug, and then
come back together to hug each other; repeat. (Try to hug a new way
each time.)
A Shape Dance. Parent and child connect to make a shape, then move
apart to make their own shape, then move back together, etc. (Try to make
a new she each time.)
'An easy to understand reference on this subject is Surviving Exerc :se by Judy Alter (Bos-
ton: Houghton-Mifflin, 1983).
128 LEADING A PARENT-CHILD SESSION
Hug,-ing Dance
"Pipe Cleaner People." The parent begins sitting. The child carefully
moves the parent, one part at a time, to change !.ie parent into a new
shape. Eventually reverse the roles. (Use pipe cleaners to demonstrate
how a shape can be changed and then held.)
A Swinging Dance. Parent and child clasp hands and swing them; then,
they explore other ways to swing together. In the dance, change from one
way to another on signal. (Swinging music is importar. or this activity.)
LEADING A PARENT-CHILD SESSION 129
Leading with a Magic Wand. The child touches one body part of the par-
ent with his or her fingerthe "magic wand? Using that 'magic wand,
the child leads the parent all about (high and low, in circles, e -c.). Of
course, the rest of the body will follow, but the attention is on the part that
was touched. Switch to a new part on signal. (Give parents a chance to
lead, too.) Use music with a real sense of movement.
A Bird Dance. This is a chance for the parent to take a rest! Each parent
makes a 'nest' for his or her child; the children can nestle in and then soar
to a new spot in the room where they can perch (balance on one part) be-
fore returning to the nest. (Be sure to explore the qualities of the words
soar and perch.)
If you watch parents and children ch.sely, you may see new idea
for a 'together' dance. For all of these structures, musical accompani-
ment and a clear beginning and endi....g will help them become more like
dances than games. The session will probably be noisier than one with
just children, but encouraging interaction is one of your goals! Do re-
mind parents and children to be gentle with each others' bodies as well
as with their own.
Also, try to be sensitive to the fact that adults may tire more easily
than their children. (They will remind you!) Throughout the session, try
to alternate activities that are more and less vigorous.
The use of a book as a structure for dance (as discussed in Chapter 7)
can be especially helpful for adults as well as give them ideas they may
use when they read to their children. Again, try to structure each activity
so that parents and children will be involved together.
THE ENDING
The ending of the session should . a relaxation activity, for the sake of
the parents as well as the children.. wo favorites that have become rituals
in some families are:
1. The parent Les on the tioor (abdomen down). Each child lies next to
the parent and then carefully rolls over him or her, giving the parent a de-
lightful massage in the process.
2. The parent lies on the floor (back touching the floor). Each child
carefully "checks' his or her parent by lifting the arms and legs (they
should feel heavy if relaxed) and then placing them gently down. Check
neck relaxation by rolling the 1'Q-, d from side to side. Then, the children lie
down i.nd the parents check them.
141
130 LEADING A PARENT-CHILD SESSION
1`x4
LEADING A PARENT-CHILD SESSION 131
kind of interaction you desire if there are more than two children per par-
ent.) ma.), older or younger siblings attend? (Older children often love the
opportunity to be as physical as their younger siblings with their parents.
Be aware of the age range for which activities are designed, and the possi-
ble disruptions if you have infants or toddlers present.) v,ihat about chil-
dren who do not attend your school, who may be friends of other children
attending? It is best to make a decision on these issues and inform parents
ahead of time, rather than have hard feelings and/or a frustrating
situation.
If you have been working with the ideas and suggestions in this
book so far, you are very aware by now that sharing dance with children
enriches not only their lives, but yours. In the most successful parent-
child sessions, parents, too, come to this understanding.
1 i r)
' It t..)
APPENDIX
All of these recordings, and many others, are available from the Children's
Book and Music Center, P.O. Box 1130, Santa Monica, CA 90406. They
have a catalogue for mail ordering.
An alternative strategy is to go through your own record or tape col-
lection and those of your friends. Listen especially for music with the fol-
lowing characteristics:
Music that movesthat makes you feel like dancing. This is the
most important characteristic. Try to find music with a predomi-
nating sound that 'goes somewhere' as contrasted with rock music
that feels like a strong constant beat in one place. Music that is very
static and quiet may be more user 1 for concentration activities
other than dance.
Music that has a clear quality (strong, or marching, or delicate for ex-
ample) or sections with clear qualities.
Instrumental (no words) or words that are less important than
the quality. (Recordings by Simon and Garfunkel often fall into
this category.)
Music that uses different instruments. (All piano or all strings
gets tiresome.)
Mark lsham
Chuck Mangione
S.tadowfax
Tomita
Windham Hill
George Winston
Paul Winter
1 `1` c)
134 APPENDIX A
You will probably never find an entir? record that you will use in
preschool dance classes. Most will have only one or two bands that you
will find useful. While records are easier to use than tapes, most teachers
cannot afford to buy records with such limited use. An alternative solu-
tion is to tape record those bands that you will use.
There are some disadvantages to using tapes instead of records. The
major one is that it takes ionger to find that 'right place on a tape than it
does to locate the right band on a familiar record. There are, however,
some strategies that will make tape recordings more functional in teach-
ing preschoolers.
1. Use shorter tapes rather than longer ones (so you will not have as
much searching to do).
2. Record useful bands several times consecutively on one tape.
3. Label each tape carefully, not only with the name of the music (and
the number of the counter if you have more than one piece on a tape) but
with qualities and particular uses.
4. As yon plan a specific session, select the na.sic for an activity and
then cue the tape to the right starting place.
5. Do not use more than one piece of music on a single tape in the
same class.
: ,
1q
B
PPENDa
PIMIIMIMM11-........
A. SEASONAL
1. September
New friends (body parts say 'Hello')
New faces (and discovery of other body parts)
New responsibilities (setting up ground rules)
2. October
a. Leaves
Shapes: long and pointed, wide and flat, curled, full of
holes, etc.
Movement: hanging from one point, falling, blowing, drifting,
swirling; relationship of the wind
b. Halloween
Magic!
Scary shapes, scared shapes
Ghosts: Soft bodies, floating
Sneaking
Making a 'witches' potion (see 'Magic Soup' in section B)
Healthy treats: Popcorn (quick jumps and hops), cheese (melt-
135
136 APPENDIX B
17 :1 C...)
APPENDIX B 137
5. January
a. New Year'sexploding
b. Snow and ice (see text, Chapters 4 and 5)
Shivering (vibrating; body parts)
Snowballs and snowmen (hard shapes that melt)
Footprints (and body part prints)
Icicle (long narrow shape), snowball (round shape), and snow-
flake (fancy shape)
Careful walking, slipping, and falling
Snowflakes (crystals, floating, drifting, melting, shapes with
holes and points)
Figure skating (smooth sequences of movement, floor pat-
terns, falling)
7. March/April
a. Rain
Clouds (soft and curved)
Lightning (zig-zag shapes, sudden changes)
Thunder (sounds with body parts, or pushing against floor)
Rain (tapping sounds, or runs that cover the floor)
Rainbow (curved pathways)
Stars (pointed shapes)
b. Wind: Gentle blowing or strong gusting; feeling of being
blown; kites (with streamers as tails?) and how they dive, dip,
suspend, etc.
c. Seeds growing into plants
138 APPENDIX 8
f. Easter
Eggs hatching (poking with different body parts, stretching,
hatching into a anew' shape)
Peter Cottontail song (change the word 'hopping' to a different
kind of motion in each verse, so children can be 'tiptoeing down
the Bunny Trail,' etc.)
Funny Bunny dances (if you were a Funny Bunny and didn't
want to hop)
8. May /June
Endings, good-byes (meeting and parting; saying good-bye with
body parts)
Summer time activities (abstraction of such as mosquito slap-
ping, etc.)
The beach
Seashells (spirals, opening and closing)
Waves (stretching up and falling down)
Dolphins and whales (leaping up, 'diving' under)
Crabs (scurrying)
Seaweed (floating)
Jellyfish (quivering)
15u
APPENDIX B 139
1. Magic Soup
Mix up magic soup in a drum or other container (real or imaginary)
A_d magic ingredients, with suggestions from children (stardust,
frog's eyes?)
Mix it, taste it . . . it's running soup, and anyone who eats it starts to
runFreeze. Continue with other kinds of motion
2. Magic shoes
Wear magic shoes that become jumping shoes, slow motion
shoes, etc.
3. Traveling to a new planet
Travel to a bend and stretch planet, where people can do only this
kind of movement
Return to 'spaceship' (circle) and travel to another planet
Use other me7ns o. 'ransport; by boat to a new island, by tra. co a
new country
4. Wishing doll (or other object)
Rub the doll and wish to gallop, to float, etc.
5. Gift giving
Give a gift of twirling, twisting, etc.
C. SHOP STORIES
See Appendix D for stor , about the shape shop. Vary the story to
make a toy shop, jumpin ; bean shop, motion shop, etc.
D. OTHER THEMES
1. Breakfast (combine two or more of the following to make a sequence)
Toast: pushing down and popping up
Butter: melting
Honey: sticking
140 APPENDIX B
1r --)
..i. t 1 4,
APPENDIX B 141
Ending: clothes sneak away and dance a dirt,/ dance (get different
parts dirty by sliding on the floor)
OR
Get blown off line and about the room for a floating dance, and then
back into the wash pile
5. Teeth
1 3
142 APPENDIX B
9. Circus
Clowns: make a crazy face, a crazy shape, do a crazy walk
Trapeze: swinging
Balloons: shapes expanding, floating, shrinking, exploding
Tightrope: balancing on different body parts
Lions: finding new ways to go through hoop
Strong men: strong shapes
Popcorn: curl in; make sudden elevations on signal
10. Bubbles
Floating, turning, changing levels, popping
Following bubbles with eyes (focus)
11. Building a housesee story in Appendix D about building a house
with magic
12. Animals (see discussion in text, p 52)
Frog: Follow fly with eyes (focus)
Catch fly with tongue, other body parts (sudden movement)
Jumping (off tables or cushions; new ways to jump)
Swimming (new ways to swim)
Fish: Slither in and out of spaces
Make space for fish to swim through (negative space)
Trick swimming
Worm: Slithering
Twisting into new shapes
Curling
Monkey: Monkey faces
New places to sit
Swinging
Turtle: Hiding shapes, emerging shapes
Swans: Beautiful shapes, beautiful movement
Gliding
Stretching neck, other parts
Cat: Walking softly, sneaking
Stretching
APPENDIX B 143
Watching (focus)
Pouncing, landing softly
Horses. Galloping (with direction, speed changes, etc.)
1 1- .)
_1 :"-
APPENDIX C
Children's Literature
Books to Use as a Framework for Dance Sessions, 144
Books to Set a Mood and Inspire Feeling for Dance, 150
Books for Sensory Awareness, 151
Poetry Books, 152
Miscellaneous Books, 152
Ancona, George. I Feel. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1977. Expressive photos, mostly
close-ups of faces, with one word c'ptions (angry, sad, etc.).
Amosky, Jim. Deer at the Brook. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1986. Im-
ages: Water sparkling, fish leaping, deer playing. Very brief text for very
young children.
Arnosky, Jim. Watching Foxes. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1985. A few
movement images in a brief text. For very young children.
Brewer, Mary. Wind Is Air. Elgin, IL: The Child's World, 1975. A chance to explore
in both science and dance. Verbal explanations are very simple and brief.
Broger, Achim. The Caterpillar's Story. New York: Scroll Press, 1973. An expan-
sion of the caterpillar-chrysallis-butterfly story with very nice movement
images. Some lengthier verbal sections may need to be paraphrased.
Brown, Margaret Wise. A Child's Good Night Book. New York: Harper & Row,
1986. A very gentle book describing mostly animals as they stop moving
and go to sleep. A nice opportunity to work with different motions and
then different shapes of resting.
Brown, Margaret Wise. The Little Island. New York: Doubleday, 1946. Imagery of
the life on and about a small island. in many cases, there are so many im-
ages on a page that you will have to arbitrarily choose which ones to work
with. There is a fairly brief dramatic episode in the middlt of the book that
you may prefer to just read.
Brown, Margaret Wise. The Runaway Bunny New York: Harper & Row, 1942. An
especially warm and loving story of a bunny and his mother. The bunny
144
100
APPENDIX C 145
imagines different ways of running away, but the mother always thinks of
ways to get him back. This book has provided the framework for some es-
pecially magical sessions with children as well as parent/child sessions.
Burningham, John. Seasons. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1969. Descriptions of
the seasons of the year. Only two or three words per page, not all of them
easily translated into dance, but the illustrations give additional ideas.
There are so many potential ideas here that you may wish to dance about
only one section (season) of the book at a time, returning to it at different
times of the year.
Cameron, Ann. The Seed. New York: Pantheon, 1975. A seed story with rrv;re po-
tential for dancing than most, but the mo ,,2ment words need to be pulled
out from a lengthier text.
Carle, Eric. I See A Song. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1973. No words, just won-
derful designs that can translate into motion as well as music.
Carle, Eric. Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me. Natick, MA: Picture Book Studio,
1986. The adventure of a father who gets the moon for his child so she can
dance with it. Can be used as preparation for dancing with a prop (a moon
s:upe cut from cardboard and decorated by the child).
Carrick, Carol & Donald. The Brook. New York: Macmillan, 1967. Description of a
brook in a storm, with wonderful images: Ice fingers poke; and a brook
that 'spills . . . spitting and splashing and spattering.' There is an opportu-
nity for dance on every page.
Carrick, Carol & Donald. Swamp Spring. New York: Macmillan, 1969. A series of
word pictures about a swamp in the spring that can be beautifully en-
hanced and extended through dance.
Coatsworth, Elizabeth. Good Night. New York: Macmillan, 1972. Quiet images of
bedtime, with only one or two lines per page. Especially nice for parent-
child class.
Cole, Sheila. When the Tide Is Low. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1985. Im-
ages of the beachwater running on the shore, clams closing and opening,
crabs crawling on stiff legs, etc.
Dragonwagon, Crescent. Will It Be Okay? New York: Harper & Row, 1977. A very
special story dealing with a child's uncertainties and her mother's sensitive
reassurances. Many sections can provide a good framework for dance;
some are best just read.
Dragonwagon, Crescent. Half a Moon and One Whole Star. New York: Macmillan,
1986. Magical movement that goes on at night while a child sleeps.
Dulaney, A. The Butterfly. New York: Delacorte Press, 1977. A butterfly's flight
across a meadow, described in words made for a dance session.
Ets, Marie Hall. Gilberto and the Wind. New York: Viking Press, 1963. A perfect
story for exploring through dance, about a little boy and his playmate, the
wind. Many possibilities for parent/child interaction.
Ets, Marie Hall. Play with Me. New York: Viking Press, 1955. A little girl tries to
get animals in the meadow to play witl her, but they all run away. The
movement of the animals can easily be translated into more abstract
terms for dance. Also very exciting for dance is the special quality of still-
ness that she discovers at the end of the bock, wl.ich brings all of the ani-
mals back to ''play."
1 5 N2
146 APPENDIX C
Freeman, Don. A Rainbow of My Own. New York: Viking Press, 1966. Good prep-
aration for dancing with a multkolored streamer.
Freschet, Berniece. Th.. Web in the Grass. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
1972. A nature story of a spider spinning its web. The actions of the spider
and other life in the meadow present images for dance.
Care lick, May. Sounds of a Summer Night. New York: Young z,cott Books, 1963. A
book that may be used simply for sensory awareness, but there are also
some wonderful images for dance: a soft breeze stirring, a firefly that
sparks and flickers, a squirrel going thump-pounce-leap-bounce.
Goudey, Alice. The Day We Saw the Sun Come Up. New York: Charles Scribner's
Sons, 1961. At the beginning of the book, there is a description of the
magic of dawn with many appropriate images for dance. The latter part of
me book is a more scientific discussion of the relationship between sun
and earth.
Grant, Sandy. Hey Look at Me. Scarsdale, NY: Bradbury Press, 1973. An ABC
book with action words and photographs from city life; some may be ex-
tended for dance.
Green, Marion. The Magician Who Lived on the Mountain. Chicago: Chil-
dren's Press, 1977. A bored magician and his imaginative magic. The
patterns that he uses for painting the sky are especially nice for trans-
lating into movement.
Hall, William. Winkie'sWor:d. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1958. An elaboration
of the world of a 2-year-old child. The beginnings of each line tend to be
more useful for dance ('the dew drops sparkle. . .") than are the specific de-
tails C. . .on the lilac leaves. . .").
Hawkinson, Lucy & John. Birds in the Sky. Chicago: Children's Press, 1965.
Describes the motion of different kinds of birds in terms that are perfect
for dance.
Hawkinson, John. The Old Stump. Chicago: Albert Whitman and Company,
1965. Describes animal life, mostly in movement terms, around an old
stump in the forest.
Hubley, Faith. Skydance. New York: Harper & Row, 1981. Incredible creatures
dancing to inspire both dance and visual art.
Johnston, Tony. Five Little Foxes and the Snow. New York: G.P. Putnam, 1977. A
story of little foxes who want to play in the snow. Each of the types of play
they choose can be a jumping-off point for dance.
Keats, F ock. The Snowy Day. New York: Viking Press, 1962. A simple story of
ay s boy's exploring in the snow. Many possibilities for dance, if move-
ment is taken beyond pantomime.
Landry, Anne. Come Dance with Me. New York: James H. Heineman, Inc., 1964. A
book and record set designed especially for dance; one of the best of this
kind. Story of a floppy doll who wants to dance and learns the secret from a
fairy. Music (no words) and abstract illustrations suggest rather than direct
specific responses, leaving much room for individual interpretation.
Lapp, Eleanor J. In the Morning Mist. Chicago: Albert Whitman, 1978. The special
early morning time offers mostly images of magic stillness. With some im-
agination, many may also be danced.
Lionni, Leo. Swimmy. New York: Pantheon Books, 1963. The story of an adven-
1 0t e..)
APPENDIX C 147
Patterson, Diane. If I Were a Toad. New York: Dial Press, 1977. A child imagin-
ing he is all sorts of animals. Animal movements can be abstracted to be-
come dance.
Quin-Harkin, Janet Benjamin's Balloon. New York: Parents Magazine Press,
1978. The story of Benjamin's balloon as it gets bigger and bigger, squash-
ing everything in his house, until it finally lifts him into the air for a floating
ride about town.
Reesink, Maryke. The Wishing Balloons. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston,
1971. Magic balloons take children to Cie sea and other places that present
dance images. May also add other imaginary places (a galloping island? a
tiptoeing mountain?) where wishing balloons might take you.
Rockwell, Anne & Harlow. Thruway. New York: Macmillan, 1972. A very brief
and simple book describing a trip on a thruway. With some imagination,
can provide an interesting session dealing with such images as speed, di-
rection, patterns (of a cloverleaf), opening and dosing (of a drawbridge).
Roy, Ron. Three Ducks Went Wandering. New York: Seabury Press, 1979. Just a few
images for dancing, making it appropriate for a shorter session. Includes
soaring of a hawk, slithering of a snake (who ties himself into knots), and
leaping after butterflies.
Ryan, Cheli Dunn. Hildilid's Night. New York: Macmillan, 1971. An amusing
story of an old woman's attempts to chase away the night. Many of her
techniques can be translated into dance.
Ryder, Joanne. A Wet and Sandy Day. New York: Harper & Row, 1977. A child at
the beach in sun and rain. Action words include jumping, drifting, wig-
gling, walking through puddles, and leaping in them.
Ryder. Joanne. Fog in the Meadow. New York: Harper & Row, 1979. Full of kines-
thetic imagery: the wind pushing and shoving its way through the grass,
the clover dancing wildly under the rabbit's nose, the spider stretching its
long legs, etc.
Schertle, Alice. My Two Feet. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1985. Lots of
things that two feet can do, such as dancing, running, stepping on a hot
sidewalk, making footprints.
Schick, Eleanor. City in the Summer. New York: Macmillan, 1969. Full of move-
ment images of a city and of the beach. Just a few lines per page.
Schweninger, Ann. On My Way to Grandpa's. New York: Dial Press, 1981. A
child's walk in the rain, with a few good movement images, such as breeze
shaking a branch and thunder rolling.
Sendak, Maurice. Alligators All Around. New York: Harper & Row, 1962. An al-
phabet book, with each letter beginning an action word, many of which
can be a springboard for dance if they are taken beyond pantomime.
Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. New York: Harper & Row, 1963. Full
of images that translate beautifully into danceangry feelings, vines
growing, a boat sailing, a -wild rumpus' (which need not be a free for all in
your session if you work with motion evident in the illustrations: jumping,
swinging, and parading). Also very adaptable for parent/child sessions.
Shulevitz, Uri. Dawn. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1974. One of my fa-
vorites for use in dance. Brief but beautiful choice of words and dreamlike
10u
APPENDIX C 149
illustrations enhance the sense of wonder of the early morning time. (Hint:
Explore images of stillness and silence by first finding their opposites.)
Shulevitz, Uri. Rain Rain Rivers. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1969.
Rhythmic wording and the illustrations about rain are perfect for stimulat-
ing exploration in dance.
Simon, Mina Lewiton. Is Anyone Here? New York: Atheneum, 1967. A poem
about the secret life on the beach, under the sea, and in the sky. So full of
kinesthetic images that one must be selective.
Skofield. James. All Wet! All Wet! New York: Harper & Row, 1984. A child's walk
in the rain, v ith images from nature, including frantic gnats that swarm
and dance, t w fish rising, deer slipping by.
Skofield, James. Nightdances. New York: Harper & Row, 1981. Story of a magical
night when a child slips out of doors to dance with the night; he is joined by
his mama and papa. Beautiful poetic text; read it through and then create
your own magic dances from the images.
Skorpen, Liesel Moak. We Were Tired of Living in a House. New York: Coward-
McCann, Inc., 1969. Four children and their pets try some unusual places
to live. Each is described with vivid movement imagery.
Thomas, lanthe. My Street's a Morning Cool Street. New York: Harper & Row,
1976. Describes the street of a city neighborhood in the morning from a
young boy's point of view. Includes such images as "stretching dogs," 'tired
mamas,' 'water swirling."
Tresselt, Alvin. Follow the Wind. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. 1950. Ad-
venture of the wind with floating kites, turning windmills, birds stretching
their wings, lightning flashing, etc.
Tresselt, Alvin R. White Snow Bright Snow. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard,
1947. An older book, full of images about snowy weather and its ending
in spring.
Udry, Janice May. The Moon - Jumpers. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1959. A
magical book about children who dance when the moon is up. You may
wish to read the whole book to capture the overall mood before you begin
to "take it apart" for dance acti _ties.
VanLeeuwen, Jean. One Day in Summer. New York: Random House, 1969. A
young boy's explorations at the beach described with images and feelings
to inspire dance.
Victor, Joan Berg. Sh-h! Listen Again. Cleveland: World Publishing, 1969. Sound
words in nature also present images of movement in relation to seasons.
Also useful for sensory awareress
Wagner, Jenny. Aranea. Scarsdale, NY: Bradbury Press, 1975. Story of a spider's
work of art, with images of foaling and swinging in the wind, crawling into
a curl, and making spirals.
Walters, Marguerite. Small Pond. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1967. Describes the
sense of magic, beauty, and adventure of a pond as the seasons change
the animal life and how children play there. Wood engravings illustrate.
Zion, Gene, & Graham, Marga et. All Falling Down. New York: Harper & Row,
1951. Wonderful images of different things falling (petals, water that
shoots up before falling, night falling, etc.).
161
1
150 APPENDIX C
Zolotow, Charlotte. Do You Know What I'll Do? New York: Harper and Brothers,
1958. A love story between a big sister and her baby brother. Each of the
gifts she imagines for him can be a jumping-off point for a special dance.
Arneson, D.J. Secret Places. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1971. Magical
places in the country for a child to play, dream, and dance.
Baylor, Byrd. Sometimes I Dance Mountains. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
1973. Photographic essay of an elementary-school-aged girl dancing in re-
sponse to different images.
Bornstein, Ruth. The Dancing Man. New York: Seabury Press, 1978. The dancing
man passes down his special shoes and his gift to a sensitive boy who longs
to dance. An especially inspiring story.
Bonner, Barbara. Myra. New York: Macmillan, 1979. A young girl's imagination
in dancing dass carries her far beyond the expected.
Bryan, Ashley. The Dancing Granny. New York: Atheneum, 1977. A priceless
story based on an Antiguan folk tale. Charming rhythm in the words
and magnificent illustrations; it is hard to read without feeling yourself
dancing! Longer than other books listed; may need to be shortened for 3-
to 4-year-olds.
Dayton, Mona. Earth and Sky. New York: Harper & Row, 1969. A dialogue between
earth and sky, discovering they each have something special to share.
Dragonwagon, Crescent. When Light Turns into Night. New York: Harper & Row,
1975. A poem evoking the magical quality of dusk. A few sections may also
inspire dance activity.
Feelings, Tom, & Greenfield, Eloise. Daydreamers. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1981.
Drawings of children daydreaming, with poetic text. Also movement im-
ages that may initiate dance session.
Himler, Ronald. Wake Up, Jeremiah. New York: Harper & Row, 1979. A small boy's
exuberant greeting of the sun and a new day.
Hobart, Lois. What Is a Whispery Secret?New York: Parents Magazine Press, 1968.
Captures a real sense of magical quality and awareness of the inside.
Horowitz, Elinor Lander. When the Sky Is Like Lace. Philadelphia: J.P. Lippincott,
1975. Describes the magical qua .y of a special sky.
Hurd, Edith. The Day the Sun Danced. New York: Harper & Row, 1965. This book
describes the wonderful feeling when the sun appears after a long winter,
in terms that inspire a wonderful mood for dance.
Hurd, Edith. I Dance in My Red Pajamas. New York: Harper & Row, 1982. A story
of the special relation- "tip between a child and her grandparents, with
whom she loves to dan , (loudly!) before bedtime.
Isadora, Rachel. Max. New Yoi A: Macmillan, 1976. A young baseball player dis-
covers that ballet class is for boys, too.
Lionni, Leo. Tico and the Golden Wings. New York: Pantheon, 1964. A story em-
;thasizing how our different experiences make vs all different.
1C2
APPENDIX C 151
Lukesova, Milena. Julian in the Autumn Woods. New York: Holt, Rinehart &
Winston, 1977. The story of a young boy who sees leaves and acorns danc-
I kg with berries in the woods.
Myers, Walter Dean. The Dancers. New York: Parents Magazine Press, 1972.
When Michael goes to work with his father, a theater technician, he meets
a dancer who becomes a special friend.
Rockwell, Anne. TI. Dancing Stars: An Iroquois Legend. New York: Thomas Y.
Crowell, 1971. Story of seven Indian brothers who liked to dance so much
they were turned into stars.
Ryder, Joanne. The Night Flight. New York: Macmillan, 1985. A child's dream of
flying, and her adventures while on her flight.
Schick, Eleanor. One Summer Night. New York: Green willow Books, 1977. An es-
pecially inspiring story of the warm night when 'Laura breathed the sum-
mer wind and felt like dancing.' Her dance spreads throughout her
multiethnic neighborhood until everyone, young and old, is caught up in
the magic of dance.
5' Annon, George. Dance Away. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1982. Rabbits
who dance for pleasure and then to save themselves from a fox.
Zolotow, Charlotte. If You Listen. New York: Harper & Row, 1980. All about lis-
tening inside yourselfeven to tell if someone far away loves you.
Zolotow, Charlotte. The Storm BOOK. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1952. Vivid
kinesthetic imagery, although too lengthy to really follow the book in
dance sessions. This could be an excellent book to set the mood for a dance
session related to a rainstorm.
Zolotow, Charlotte. The Summer Night. New York: Harper & Row, 1974. A little
girl cannot sleep on a summer night, so she and her daddy go for a special,
magical walk.
Bram, Elizabeth. One Day 1 Closed My Eyes and the World Disappeared. New York:
Dial Press, 1978.
Brenner, Barbara. Faces. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1970.
Brown, Marcia. Listen to a Shape. New York: Franklin Watts, 1979. Photographic
essay of wonderful shapes from nature, with a poetic text.
Brown, Margaret Wise. On Christmas Eve. New York: Young Scott Books, 1938.
Hcoan, Tana. Look Again. New York: Macmillan, 1971.
Kohn, Bernice. How High Is Up? New York: G.P. Putnam, 1971.
Miles, Betty. A Day of Summer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1960.
O'Neill, Mary. Hailstones & Halibut BonesAdventures in Color. Garden City, NY:
Doubleday, 1961.
O'Neill, Mary. Fingers Are Always Bringing Me News. Garden City, NY:
Doubleday, 1969.
Tanz, Christine. An Egg Is to Sit On. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1978. En-
courages imaginationlooking at things in a new way.
152 APPENDIX C
Zane 'man, Nathan. Walls Are to Be Walked. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1977. Encour-
ages taking time to see all that is there on Jimmy's three-block walk to
school.
POETRY BOOKS
Collections of poetry for young children usually offer the best source.
Check public libraries for older collections.
Arbuthot, Mayhill (Ed.). Time for Poetry (rev. ed.). Chicago: Scott, Foresman,
1961. An extensive collection.
Cole, Joanna (Ed.). A New Treasury of Children's Poetry. Garden City, NY:
Doubleday, 1984. Section on 'Tint Poems of Childhood- is especially useful.
Doane, Pelagie (Ed.). A Small Child's Book of Verse. New York: Henry Z. Walck,
1948. Filled with many old favorites.
Jacobs, Leland B. (Ed.). Hello, Year!Champaign, IL: Garrard Publishing Co., 1972.
Poems about months, seasons, weather, and holidays that can enhance a
session involving one of these themes.
Larrick, Nancy (Ed.). Piper, Pipe That Song Again! New York: Random House,
1965. More contemporary choices.
Lenski, Lois. City Poems. New York: Henry Z. Walck, 1965. Useful poems for
urban children. Use selected images for dance, rather than pantomime.
McFarland, Wilma (Ed.). For a Child: Great Poems Old and New. Philadelphia: The
Westminster Press, 196S.
Prelutsky, Jack. Circus. New York: Macmillan, 1974. Poems about different circus
acts that could enhance a session on this theme.
Stephenson, Marjorie (Ed.). Fives Sixes and Sevens. London/New York: Warne,
1968. A few are useful for preschool age.
MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS
Lionni, Leo. Pezzetino. New York: Pantheon, 1975. A simple tale to reinforce the
uniqueness of each individual.
Sorine, Stephanie Riva. Imagine ThatIt's Modern Dance. New York: Alfred A.
Knopf, 1981. A picture book on modern dance with photographs of chil-
dren (multiracial but all girls) making shapes.
Sorine, Stephanie Riva. At Every Turn! It's Ballet. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
1981. Photographic essay of children (dancers and everyday) showing
how ballet uses everyday movements.
Wallace, Ian. Chin Chiang and the Dragon's Dance. New York: Atheneum, 1984. A
cross-cultural view of a traditional dance in Chinese culture that a child has
learned from his grandfather.
1C
APPENDIX D
e/Agir
/---
Once upon a time there was a shop1 eeper who had a shop. It was a very
unusual shop that sold only one thing: shapes. It had large shapes and
small ones, curved shapes and pointed ones, twisted shapes and straight
ones. (Include in this list whatewff kinds you have explored.)
One thing the shop did not have was customers. Who had ever
heard of a shape shop before?
Then, one day the shopkeeper had an idea: he(she) would have a big
sale and put an ad in the newspaper.
The night before the sale, the shopkeeper went around to see all the
shapes, to make sure that each one was in perfect condition, really 'ship-
shape.' He(she) checked to be sure the curves were curvy, the points were
pointy, and the twists were twisty. Then, the shopkeeper went to sleep for
the night in his(her) apartment in the back of the store. (That way he/she
could hear if there were any problems during the night.)
While the shopkeeper was sleeping, the shapes all came sneaking
down from their shelves and, as quiet as could be, began to dance. They
began shaping, changing from one shape to another. (Add any other
movement cues that you wish. Continue to give cues if necessary, while
children dance.)
Finally, when the first light of morning came, the shapes were 5.
153
154 APPENDIX D
tired that they could not keep their shapes anymore. They lay all soft and
relaxed on the floor.
The storekeeper came in and took one look at the shapes. Then
he(she) said, ''Oh, no! What shall I do? My customers will be here any
minute! All that can save me now is some magic!' Then he(she) heard the
first customer at the door and went to explain what had happened.
But, while the shopkeeper went to the moor, some magic did happen.
The tired shapes were filled with magic and changed back into their real
shapes, just in time. The sale was a reai succe-s; the shopkeeper had many
satisfied customers.
Notes
Tell the story first, and then briefly review the story, giving time for
the children to dance the parts of the shapes. Dramatize other parts
of the story if you wish.
I ordinarily take the part of the shopkeeper. Otherwise, every child
will want a turn taking this part, and there won't be time to do any
other dances.
Change the story to suit your needs. It may become a magic food
shop, a magic toy shop, or any other kind.
Once upon a time there was a child who wanted to dance, but could not
because his legs would not work. He had to sit in a wheelchair. One day, a
wishing fairy came to see him. The fairy told the boy she could not make
his legs work, but she could take him to a place where he could be
happya Magic Garden.
This garden was so magical that it dug itself up with a magic digging
dance, and the child laughed. The seeds jumped into the dirt to plant
themselves; one seed jumped into his lap. Raindrops danced into the gar-
den so the child felt cool and clean. They called the sun, who did a magic
rising and setting dance. Then weeds popped up, but they pulled them-
selves out and threw themselves away. Then, clouds came in and made
scary shapes to keep the crows away, but they didn't frighten the child.
They just made him feel braver than he had ever felt before.
Then, most amazing of all, Hants suited to growevery kind and
every shape. Each one started ce, each in its own way. They came
'The idea for this story was borrowed from Frances H. Burnett's book The Serret Garden.
New York: Dell, 1987.
APPENDIX D 155
&A danced all around the child. He rear: c.1 out his arms and felt their
magic going inside of him.
Can you guess what happened then?
Notes
First, explore all the kinds of movement included in the story. (This
may be done the day before.) Then, tell the story and dance the
dances described.
Once there was a poor housebuilder who worked all day in the hot sun to
build a house. He(she) did sawing, hammering, screwing in screws, and
painting. He(she) was known for the very unusual houses he(she) built,
with very different shapes. As soon as he(she) built a house, he(she) sold
it to have enough money to buy food and materials for the next house.
He(she) had just finished building a house one day, when a big
storm came and blew it down. The housebuilder was so sad he(she) sat
down on a rock and cried.
While he(she) was crying, a group of elves came sneaking out -:nd
danced building dances. First, they did a sawing dance, then a hammer-
ing dance, then a turning dance to screw in the screws, and then a paint-
ing dance. As they danced, the house got rebuilt right before the
housebuilder's eyes, like magic.
The housebuilder thanked the elvesnot just for rebuilding the
house, but for teaching him(her) about the magic of dancing. From then
on, he(she) always danced while he(she) worked, which made the work
go much faster.
Notes:
Prior to the story, explore the movements; repeat the dances during
the story.
Sample Lesson on a
Specific Movement Theme:
Curved and Angular Lines
(c) Make a dance in two parts: Painting the air with cur\ ?.s, then
painting the air with zig-zags and straight lines.
1 " t,,
4,
APPENDIX F
Cherry, Clare. (1971). Creative movement for the developing child: A nursery school
handbook for non-musicians (rev. ed.). Belmont, CA: Fearon. A collection of
activities to be done to songs and jingles; some of the suggested explora-
tions can be used in a more flexible way.
Cochran, Norman A. (1976). Learning on the move: Ad activity guide for pre-school
parents and teachers. Dubuque IA: Kendall/Hunt. A detailed move nent
curriculum, with suggestion . for exploration. These suggestions might
then be developed into dar !. rs ther than game activities.
Curtis, Sandra R. (1982). The joy ,j movement in early childhood. New York: leach-
ers College Press. Theoretical discussion of patterns of motor clevelopment,
followed by suggested games and activities to promote development.
Jones, Barbara Stews rt. (1981). Movement themes: Topics for early childhood (tun-
ing through creative movement. Saratoga, CA: Century A wenty One Pub-
lishing. Series of lessons, including exact words for the teacher to teach 10
different concepts through creative movement.
Lynch-Fraser, Diane. (1982). Danceplay: Creative movement for very young chil-
dren. New York: New American Library. Parent-child activities for toddlers
and preschoolers. Snme are acceptable for group settings.
Nelson, Esther L. (1977). Singing & dancing games for the very young. New York:
Sterling. Fingerplays and movement games that could be used as a begin-
ning for more creative exploration.
Sinclair, Caroline B. (1973). Movement of the young child: Ages two to six.
Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill. Focus on development of basic move-
159
17i
160 APPENDIX F
ment patterns during this period with photographs showing more and less
mature patterns of jumping, throwing, etc.
Sullivan, Molly. (1982). Feeling strong, feeling free: Movement exploration for young
children. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of
Young Children. Includes many practical suggestions and activities for
movement exploration with 3-4 and 5-8-year-old children.
Barlin, Anne. (1979). Teaching your wings to fly: The nonspecialist's guide to move-
ment activities for young children. Santa Monica, CA: Goodyear.
Boorman, Joyce. (1969). Creative dance in the first three grades. Don Mills,
Ontario: Longman Canada Limited.
Fleming Gladys Andrews. (1976). Creative rhythmic movement: Boys and girls
dancing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Flem:ng, Gladys Andrews (Ed.). (1981). Children's dance. Reston, VA: The Ameri-
can Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Joyce, Mary. (1980). First steps in teaching creative dance to children (2nd ed.). Palo
Alto, CA: Mayfield.
Mettler, Barbara. (1976). Creative dance in kindergarten. Tucson: Mettler Studios.
Murray, Ruth Lovell. (1975). Dance in elementary education (3rd ed.). New York:
Harper & Row.
Russell, Joan. (1975). Creative movement and dance for children. Boston: Plays.
Canner, Norma. (1975). . . .and a time to dance. Boston: Plays. A warm and sensi-
tive discussion about creative movement with mentally handicapped indi-
viduals; many beautiful photographs.
.at, Sally, & Riordan, Anne. (1980). Focus on dime IX: Dance for the handicapped.
Reston, VA: The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recre-
ation and Dance. A collection of articles regarding dance with different
groups with special needs.
Kinda, Crystal L. (1976). Body awareness for exceptional children through the cre-
ative arts. Buffalo, NY: D.O.K. Publishers. A series of lessons designed for
mentally handicapped children ages 3-8.
Levete, Gina. (1982). No handicap to dance: Creative improvisation for people with
and without disabilities. London: Souvenir Press. Includes a section on ac-
tivities for ages 3-6.
Materials on creative arts (Arts, crafts, dance, drama, and music) for persons with :ian-
dicapping conditions. (1977). Reston, VA: The American Alliance for
172
APPENDIX F 161
M7SCELLANEOUS
Cherry, Clare. (1981). Think of something quiet: A guide for achieving serenity
in early childhood classrooms. Belmont, CA: Pitman Learning. Many
suggestions for helping children find their quiet selves; includes relax-
ation activities.
Hendricks, Gay, & Wills, Russel. (1975). The centering book: Awareness act -,ities
for children, parents, and teachers. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice clan.
Many relaxation and awareness activities, some of which are appropriate
for young children.
Hendricks, Gay, & Roberts, Thomas B. (1977). The second centering book: More
awareness activities for children, parents, and teacher3. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall. A few of these relaxation activities are suggested for all ages.
Zirulnik, Ann, & Abeles, Jealiette (Eds.). (1985). Resource lists for children's dance.
Michigan Dance Association (300 Bailey Street, Room 201, East Lansing,
MI 48823). Sixty pages listing resources in books, records, films, and other
materials for children's dance. Includes some other M.D.A. publications.
Very valuable for new teachers.